Spies Squared
by CASE iN POiNT
Summary: The Lyoko gang is back again in Yumi's eyes. This time, she's made a spy with the WOOHP organization and has to deal with the Lyoko world along with the tricky world of espionage. Plus, what's Xana up to now? FINISHED! R&R!
1. With the Gang

Author's Note: For everyone reading this story, I just wanted you to know that this is supposed to be the official sequel to "Mayhem Squared" another story by me (of course). But if you really don't want to read that 20 chapter long story, you can just read this one directly. You'll still get it, although I would have to say you are missing out on another adventure of the Lyoko gang if you don't read my other story (if you do, it would be much appreicated if you drop a review!). But if you don't want to, I'm totally okay with it and I hope with all my heart that you'll like this story! Okay, on with the first chapter...

* * *

"School's out for summer!" Odd screeched in a bad version of what he believed to be called "singing".

"Okay, Odd," I said, thoroughly annoyed. "Number one: school is out for break, not for summer. And number two: would you please stop trying to shatter the school's windows?" I glared at him as he grinned in return.

"Sorry Yumi, but I knew some great singing would cheer you up," he said, all smiles as he walked with me to the cafeteria.

"Oh yes, Odd. Great singing. It just made my day." I laced my words with sarcasm. Odd, used to this already, just smiled wider.

"Well, if my fantastic singing hasn't made your day just yet, something else will," he said, pointing ahead of him. "Your Ulrich-poo!" I socked him on the arm. "Ouch!" he muttered. "Remind me never to try and make you happy again." I laughed at that.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Ulrich asked as we walked up to him and Jeremy.

"Oh nothing. Just Odd trying to be the stand up comedian he isn't while trying to make my day." Odd scowled at me. Ulrich and Jeremy laughed.

"I see," Ulrich commented. "Must have been interesting."

"Very," I assured him. "What's up with you guys? And how's Aelita? I haven't talked to her for a while since Xana's army was destroyed."

"She's fine," Jeremy said quickly, his eyes twinkling. "She said that after we demolished Xana's grand attempt at trying to destroy us and conquer the world that he kind of lost heart and has given up."

I snorted. "Isn't that a bit too extreme a conclusion? Xana's probably as mad as a hornet, not like he isn't one already."

"And he's probably out for some revenge," Ulrich finished for me.

Odd cringed. "I wouldn't want to stick around when he tries that!"

I rolled my eyes. "Odd, if he does try to take revenge on us you'll have to stick around. You'll be helping us stop him!"

Odd thought for a moment. "Oh yeah. I guess not being in Lyoko for so long has made me think I'm actually a normal kid for a change."

Ulrich shook his head. "For you Odd, its impossible to be normal."

"Speak for yourself," Odd countered and stuck his tongue out at Ulrich.

"Oh look! It's the freaks," said a snide voice from behind me. I turned to see Sissy. She was followed not by Herb and Nicholas this time, but by two of her just as snobby girl friends who had joined her posse recently. She must have liked them the most to bestow the privilege of letting them follow her around. If she had asked me to follow her around or even begged me to join her posse, I would have died instead.

"Oh look!" Odd mimicked, "It's the idiots!" Sissy narrowed her eyes hatefully, but her eyes softened when she gazed at Ulrich. I noticed this and clenched my fists.

"I have no time for your stupid insults today. I have actually come for Yumi." She folded her arms across her chest triumphantly and glanced at me with smugness I didn't like. I started.

"For me?" I asked, puzzled. Then I made my face look resolute. "For what?"

"My father, also known as the principal of this school, would like to have a word with you." Now Sissy's minions got infected with the smug look. I gazed at them critically, and then decided that the biggest threat was still from Sissy, not from them. Suddenly, Ulrich grabbed my arm and pulled me closer to him.

"She doesn't seem to be telling the truth," he said in a whisper that I could barely hear. I watched as Sissy's face turned into a look of annoyance. She was clearly being bugged that Ulrich was talking to me privately. _Sucker_, I couldn't help thinking. Ulrich, meanwhile, continued. "I think it might be a trap to do something to you."

I pulled away from him a bit, surprised. "You're talking as if Sissy is Xana!"

"She is just as bad," he said. I gave him a skeptical look, one eyebrow raised. Sighing, he relented. "Okay, Xana's much worse but she was infected by Xana once. What makes you think that he isn't at it again?"

"Well," Sissy said impatiently, all smugness forgotten. "Are you coming or not? My dad will be very displeased if you don't go to talk to him."

I looked back at Ulrich. "What if she's actually telling the truth this time? And besides, if she does spring something on me, I'll just kill her. It'll take her off our hands," I joked. Ulrich still looked unsure but I winked at him. Then I pulled my arm out of his grip and walked over to face Sissy. "Okay, I'm coming with you. Let's go."

Sissy smiled eagerly, the smugness returning. "Follow me," she said as she started walking.

I rolled my eyes. "Sissy, I know where the principal's office is. You don't have to escort me there."

"Oh yes I do."

I sighed irritably. "And why is that? Afraid I'll run and hide in the sewers?" I rethought what I had just said and cringed inwardly. _Nice going_, I thought to myself. _Did you have to use an example so closely tied to the warehouse and Lyoko?_

Sissy brushed it off though. "No, but it suits you if you were to do that." I glared at her as she turned around. "I'm not escorting you to the principal's office."

"Good, so can I go now?" I asked hopefully. She laughed evilly.

"As if! You're not going to the principal's office at all." She snapped her fingers and I realized too late that I had been walking between her and her minions that were trailing us. Now they lunged at me from behind and grabbed my hands and arms tightly, digging into the ground to hold me fast. I realized then, also, that Sissy had not picked these two girls because they were her favorites but because they were the strongest she could find. And now that we were far enough from the boys for them to not see or hear, I was thoroughly trapped. She laughed again. "Aw, poor helpless little Yumi. With no prince charming Ulrich to save her." She thought over her statement then quickly corrected herself, "As if he was your prince charming anyway. Everyone knows he's mine."

I sighed and struggled to break free from her cronies' bone breaking grip. "Whatever Sissy! Just would you mind explaining to me what you're going to do to me?"

"Oh," she said, remembering her grand scheme. "Right. Well, anyway, you're not going to go to the principal's office. Not at all." I sighed heavily. _We've already been through this_, I thought in boredom. She continued. "You are going straight to my room!"

"And what exactly are we going to do there? Have a tea party with your porcelain dolls?"

"No," she snapped harshly. Then a slow smile crept across her face. "I'm going to see what Ulrich really likes in a girl."

"Okay," I said, "you've lost me."

"Well, Yumi, it seems I have to spell it out for you. I'm going to give you a life altering change that will test Ulrich to his limits. I'm going to surprise one and all with what I'm going to do!" I yawned in disinterest. "I," she said very softly, and she leaned in to make sure I heard, "am going to remake your looks into an exact replica of the beautiful yours truly. Me!" She flung her arms out wide as if she had just finished performing the grand finale dance scene in a musical.

"In other words," she said quickly, her smile of smugness returning once again, "I'm going to give you a makeover."


	2. Makeover

Author's Note: Thank you for my first bunch of reviews! They were very kind and sweet and they encouraged me to write more! To aligrl34, I'm going to kinda use your idea but I'm tweeking it a little bit. You'll just have to read and see. Aelita-Fan-426, I'm going to answer your question with a smile and a wink and a, "You'll see..." Thank you again, all my lovely readers and reviewers! You rock, as always. Now for the chapter...

* * *

"No!" I screamed as I was dragged very much by force through the dormitory hallways. One of the girls covered my mouth roughly. I tried to bite it as a reaction but the girl was too quick and snatched her hand away. I tried to kick out at them savagely, but they skipped away from my kicks as if they were ballet dancers. "How come you guys have such quick reflexes?" I asked in exhaustion from my efforts, more to myself than to them.

"Maybe because we both are black belts in American kempo?" one of the girls said, leaning in close to my ear.

"Oh," I said, shocked and angry at the same time. "You could have told me earlier before I wasted all that energy in trying to break free."

"Naw," the other one piped up. "We'd much rather give you a surprise and watch you struggle." I would have punched her lights out if I hadn't been in such a tight situation.

We stopped when we were right in front of Sissy's door. She opened it with a frightening smile and beckoned for her henchwomen to deposit me inside. They shoved me in and let go. As quick as lightning, I bolted for the door but Sissy slammed it closed in my face. "Now, now, now. We can't let our test subject run off before we prepare the tests!" she scolded. Nevertheless, I rattled the doorknob desperately. As expected, it was locked.

Sissy led me away from the door and into her plush pink chair. I glanced at it in disgust before she forced me down. Her henchwomen sat on her bed, waiting expectantly with slight grins on their faces. I scowled at them as Sissy went to her closet. "Okay, first things first: the outfit. We can't have the make up get smeared once we put it on her."

_MAKE UP!_ I thought in horror. Without thinking, I made another mad dash for the door but the black belts were quicker and ended up carrying me back to the chair and holding me there, preventing anymore escape attempts. I sat silently and watched wistfully as Sissy turned back around with a flourish and presented me with her outfit of choice. I grimaced at the sight.

It seemed that everything was in shades of pink, my least favorite color. First, there was a tight magenta mini-skirt with a strip of ruffles at the bottom of it. Then it was the top that Sissy had picked: a light pink halter with magenta rhinestones sparkling along the top with matching light pink spaghetti thin straps that tied in the back. The top would end a good one-inch above my belly button. Then she held out a flimsy pink see-through material over coat that had no buttons and ruffles at the bottom and the end of the sleeves. I watched in growing hate and horror when she pulled out slick pink high-heeled boots that matched the whole ensemble from under her bed.

She laid it all out and sighed. "I love this outfit." She turned to face me menacingly. "If you ruin it in anyway way, I'll kill you." I remembered belatedly the joke I had shared with Ulrich before being dragged to this hell. I had said I would just kill Sissy. Boy, had that plan backfired. "Now," she said, shoving everything but the boots into my arms, "go change inside my closet."

"What?" I asked incredulously. "I can't possibly change in there!" She shoved me forcefully into it and closed the door. "Its bigger than it looks and there's a light in there." With that I was shut away into darkness.

"Great," I muttered to myself. "Would have rather met with the principal." Faced with no other choice though, I quickly groped blindly about for a light and found the switch on the far left of the closet. Once the light was on, it was easier for me to maneuver around her abundance of clothes hanging on the rack and find the outfit she had thrust at me. I reluctantly shed my pants and tennis shoes and slipped on the magenta mini-skirt. It felt uncomfortable for me to be wearing a mini-skirt, as I didn't do it often. I slipped on the halter as well, tying it securely in the back. I felt almost bare; I was showing so much skin. I slipped hurriedly into the see through over coat and folded up my own clothes.

When I emerged from the closet, all three of the girls gasped as one. "I can't believe I'm saying this, Yumi, but this is the closest you've ever looked to beautiful," Sissy breathed, studying me as if I was a sculpture on display at a museum. I glared at her back as she bent down and brought out the boots. "Put them on," she ordered unnecessarily.

I sat on the chair and unzipped the boots, slipping my feet into them before zipping them back up. "Stand up," she commanded and I did so unsteadily, my feet not used to high-heels. Sissy once again examined me from all sides before she smiled; this time it was genuine. She slapped her hands in delight like a child at a candy store. "Time for the make up." She looked at me sternly. "And I'm not letting you out without it." I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"Fine Sissy. Anything to be rid of this hell."

She narrowed her eyes. "And you have to keep it and the outfit on the whole day."

"What?" I shook my head. "Okay, that's going way too far. I still have classes!"

"Well," she said, holding up something in her hand. I stared in shock. "You wouldn't want me to accidentally read this to the whole school, now would you?"

"That's," I spluttered, "my diary!"

"Correct, and if you don't do what I say, I'll keep it forever. And just you watch, as long as it's in my possession, you'll be in major trouble." She smiled sweetly and straightened up, slipping my diary into her drawer. "Now," she said, more cheerfully than before, "on with the make up!"


	3. WOOHPed

Author's Note: Thank you for all my reviewers! I especially want to thank Star Breacher who reviewed "Mayhem Squared" for me. I didn't think anyone would review it anymore but you proved me wrong! Thanks! And many thanks for all the rest of you that are reviewing this story. Since this is a long chapter, let's get on with it. Enjoy!

* * *

I emerged shamefully from Sissy's room complete with pink eye shadow (to match my outfit), black mascara, a slight touch of blush, and reddish-pink long-lasting lipstick (she insisted on using the long-lasting because she was afraid I would rub it off by "accident"). "Now go out there and strut your stuff," she had cooed and slammed her door in my face. I had stared at it a bit stupidly, but recovered when I realized I had to formulate a plan to not show my face for the rest of the day. 

I was about to run to my room when I heard voices coming from that direction. I paused to listen.

"Where is she?" a voice I distinctly recognized as Ulrich asked. "A trip to the principal's office my ass. I bet Sissy abducted her or something."

"Let's go talk to her then," it was Odd this time.

_Shoot_, I thought quickly and glanced around. _Bathroom._ In a flash, with my heels clicking, I ran to the girls' bathroom that wasn't too far from Sissy's dorm. I closed the door just as Ulrich and Odd's footsteps grew louder as they rounded the bend. I leaned close against the bathroom door to try and hear what was going on.

Two knocks and then the sound of the door opening. "Ulrich, dear! What a surprise? What are you doing here?" That was Sissy, obviously.

"Where's Yumi? What have you done with her?" Ulrich's voice was angry and annoyed.

"Nothing!" she squealed in fake innocence.

"Really, now Sissy," Odd chipped in, "as if we'll fall for that one. We haven't seen her since you led her away."

"Well, okay, I'll tell you. I did do something to her, but it's for the best! I swear! I let her go only moments ago. I truly don't know where she is now."

"Okay," Ulrich said, his voice becoming dangerously low. "What did you do to her?"

"I gave her a makeover." After a pause, Sissy added, "It's a girl thing; guys, obviously, do not understand." I imagined that Ulrich and Odd had probably looked at each other in puzzlement. "Oh well. See you in class!" With that, she slammed her door again.

"I guess you could always call her and see where she is," Odd suggested. I dug through my pile of clothes trying to find my cell phone.

"Good idea," Ulrich said and there was silence at the other side of the door. Suddenly, my cell phone started vibrating underneath a sleeve of my black shirt and started peeping its ring tune. I winced at the loud sound and tried to shut my cell phone off in a panicked grab. Too late.

"Yumi? Are you in there?" Ulrich asked. Then he paused, "Dumb question. I know you're in there."

"Yes?" I asked shakily, leaning against the door to make sure he wouldn't try opening it.

"Come out, Yumi. We thought Sissy had killed you or something."

I shook my head. "No, I'd rather stay in here thanks."

"Come on, Yumi! Is this a game?"

"No, really! I would rather stay in here!"

Odd joined in. "Come on Yumi! You still have classes and besides, Ulrich here would be bored without you."

The bell gave off a loud clanging sound. I clamped my hands over my ears until the bell stopped ringing. It was time to go to class.

Ulrich rattled the doorknob anxiously. "Come out, Yumi!" he shouted at the door angrily.

I was about to open my mouth to yell, "No!" at him when the ground beneath me dropped open. I looked down and saw a slick, metal tunnel that twisted away until out of view. Then with a scream, I fell down into the tunnel with my clothes right beside me.

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I slid on my bottom through the tube, screaming the whole way. It twisted and turned for quite sometime. Finally I saw dead end up front. Without thinking, I shielded my face with my arms as I hit the dead end. Suddenly, I felt a tumbling sensation and I was landing on my stomach on a soft mat. I looked up tentatively and saw that I hadn't landed on a mat, but a circular pink couch that had dropped open when I hit the end of the tunnel. I glanced about wonderingly and saw that I was in some sort of office that looked quite high tech and official. There was a dark red carpet that led to five stairs and a blue couch right in front of me. Then beyond that, I spotted a desk. The chair to the desk swiveled to face me, then, as if it knew I was looking at it.

"Good morning, Yumi," said the man sitting in the chair. I gaped at him, partly because he knew my name and partly because he was so calm. His head was almost bald except for three hairs that were brushed back to the side. He wore a customary suit with a black tie that he tugged on now to get into place. His face was gentle and trustworthy but I leaned back a bit just the same.

"Who are you?" I asked tentatively.

"Oh yes, of course, you must be petrified. My name is Jerry, and I am to be your new guardian."

"New guardian? I already have a mom and dad, thanks."

He shook his head in amusement. "No, no, no. I'm your new WOOHP guardian."

"WOOHP guardian," I repeated. "Right."

"You see, WOOHP is an secret organization of spies and technology to ensure the safety of this world. And I'm making you our newest and youngest WOOHP agent as of today."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," I said, all his words tumbling around in my brain. "I'm going to be a spy?"

"Not just any spy. A WOOHP spy. You'll be teaming up in your first missions with Sam, Alex, and Clover, three high school teenagers from Beverly Hills. They are my top agents and should ensure you quick and effective training for becoming a spy." He stood up and placed his hands on his desk. "But of course, you can't tell anyone you're a spy, or else the organization wouldn't be secret anymore."

I raised my eyebrows. "And why am I going to be a WOOHP spy?"

Jerry sat down and gazed at me critically. Then he held up a hand and started tipping off reasons on his fingers. "Your quick on your feet, your quick in your mind, and you have a knack for stopping evil plots to take over the world. Am I right?"

I froze. "Um..." I started. _How much did this guy know?_ I twisted my fingers and shifted my position so that I was sitting on the edge of the circular pink couch. "I think your close enough," I said finally, smiling a little.

"No matter, all these are excellent qualities to possess in order to become a WOOHP spy."

"And what if I don't want to be a WOOHP spy?"

Jerry sighed. "I get this question every time I brief new agents," he said, more to himself than to me. Then he turned to really address me. "If you insist on not becoming an agent, I will have to erase your memory of this encounter entirely. That isn't a pleasant experience, I assure you."

"Enough said," I said in revulsion.

"All right," Jerry said delightedly. "You'll start your training immediately." A little part of his desk slid back to reveal a red button. "Would you kindly step over to sit in the blue couch in front of me?"

I got up and did so, the sound of Sissy's high-heeled boots muffled on the red carpet. "But, Jerry," I said, trying out the new name, "I have classes right now. I can't have training."

"Well," he said, pressing the button, "Sam, Alex, and Clover have classes now too, but you all are top students and I'm sure you'll make up the work." I opened my mouth to say something more but then closed it as I heard the sound of screaming behind me. I turned around to see three high school girls drop out of a hole that had opened up in the ceiling in a flurry of color. They each bounced once on the pink couch and then landed in an irritable heap with one on top of the other.

"Jerry, what in the world are you trying to do? Kill us?" the blonde haired girl said angrily, brushing back her bangs and straightening up to regain composure. She wore a blue top that had a thin stripe of purple at the bottom and it ended before her belly button. Then she wore a purple mini- skirt with a thin stripe of blue at the bottom and around the waist. Blue high-heeled boots completed the ensemble and she walked over importantly to the couch I was sitting on. "Who are you?" she asked a bit rudely. Suddenly her eyes started sparkling and she rushed to plop down beside me.

"Oh my god!" she gasped, pointing at the boots I was wearing. "Those are so cute! Was there, like, a sale at the mall I didn't know about?"

I gaped at her in astonishment. "You actually like these clothes?" I asked, a bit harshly.

She stopped drooling and looked at me seriously. "Well of course! And that is the cutest outfit I've seen in a while, with what Mandy wears and all."

I dismissed her words with a wave of my hand. "All I know is, anyone who thinks Sissy's clothes are cute is a idiot and a sissy themselves."

The blonde haired girl got up in an angry huff and pointed at me with a daintily manicured finger. "I'll have you know that I have the best fashion taste you've ever seen, pal. And if you don't like those clothes, then why are you wearing them?"

I stood up as well. "Well, I'll have you know that I was forced to wear them!"

"Oh really?" she said, stomping her foot. "Don't be ridiculous. Forcing someone to wear something is, like, so 1970s!"

"GIRLS, FOCUS!" Jerry and the red haired girl yelled at the same time. The blonde girl and I stopped bickering and looked at Jerry and the red haired girl, blinking stupidly. "Now," Jerry said, tugging at his tie again. The red haired girl sat down next to me and pulled the blonde haired girl down next to her. Then a third girl, this one with black hair sat on the other side of the blonde. "If I have everyone's full attention," he began, giving the blonde haired girl and me a stern glance. "This is Yumi, our newest, and youngest WOOHP agent."

"Nice to meet you," the red haired girl said, waving at me. "I'm Sam." She had on a light lime green dress that ended above her knees with a pink ribbon tied in a bow in the front, making it look like she had a high waistline. She was completed with high-heeled ankle shoes that were green and pink, like her dress.

"Nice to meet you too," I said pleasantly, cooling off a bit.

The black haired girl leaned out so I could see her. "I'm Alex," she stated with a big smile. She had on a butterfly spaghetti strap and jean capris with a sprinkle of pink flowers to match her pink top at the bottom. She had on blue sneakers with pink shoelaces.

The blonde girl still looked straight ahead. Sam elbowed her but only got a, "Humph!"

Alex looked at the girl a bit nervously then smiled widely at me again. "This is Clover." She glanced at Clover's face then went on hurriedly, "I believe you've already met."

"Indeed," Jerry said, hurrying on himself. "Now I know you all have classes right now, but I'm sure you can make up the work. Right now we have an important mission on ours hands."

"Lay it on us, Jer," Sam said, sounding businesslike and official.

Jerry nodded. "I need you three to train Yumi." The girls looked at Jerry oddly, then looked at me the same way.

"Okay," Sam said skeptically, "any gadgets?"

Jerry smiled. "They will already be there. Ta ta, girls."

With a push of a button, our couch flipped over, depositing us in various random positions in a shuttle with four pink seats. We barely had time to get ourselves seated before the shuttle zoomed forward at tremendous speeds.

"First thing," Sam said between screams. "If you're going to be a successful WOOHP spy, you have to get used to Jerry's weird methods of getting us to places!"

Alex gave Sam a disbelieving look. "You're not serious," she said loudly over our yells. "I'm still not used to them!"

"Hang on!" Clover bellowed as our shuttle got an extra boost of speed.


	4. Training

Author's Note: Thank you again for all my reviews! I'm delighted that most of you enjoy the story so far. Just to let you know, if WOOHP and the spies weren't in the story, there probably would be no story. That's just how it goes, so sorry to those that didn't really want WOOHP to interfere. Otherwise, thanks for the reviews again and enjoy the next chapter!

* * *

I pulled on my blue jumpsuit and clicked the belt in place. Then I looked over to see the three other girls do the same: Sam had a green jumpsuit, Alex a yellow one, and Clover a red one.  
  
"Are you sure we can run in these heels?" I asked, pointing at the high-heeled boots that were part of the jumpsuit uniform.  
  
"That's what training is for," Sam simply stated with a smile. "Follow me."  
  
We entered from the locker rooms into a medium sized room. The only color in the room was a metallic, metal blue. The floor was the only exception. It was a dark metallic blue.  
  
"Someone needs a new decorator," Clover commented, looking at the drab surroundings. "Unless they were going for the boring, cold look of course. Then they'd be doing a great job."  
  
"This room looks familiar," Alex said, looking around in thought.  
  
Sam sighed. "Its because you've been in here before Alex. We all have, except for Yumi." When they gave her blank expressions, she sighed again. "We trained in here. That's why it's called a training room. Ring any bells?"  
  
"Oh yeah!" Alex said, her face perking up. "I forgot." She smiled sweetly.  
  
Suddenly, a vibrating in my pocket and a ring tone went echoing around the metallic room. Sam, Alex, and Clover gasped as one, startled. They all turned in my direction. I fumbled in my pocket for my cell phone, which showed Ulrich's number on the display._Not now_, I pleaded silently, although I knew it wouldn't do any good.  
  
"Rude much!" Clover complained. "At least turn off your cell phone."  
  
"Sorry!" I said hurriedly and pressed the accept button while running back to the locker room. "Hello?"  
  
"Yumi? Where the hell are you?"  
  
"Uh..." I looked around. "Ulrich, aren't you supposed to be in class right now?" I seated myself on a bench in the locker room.  
  
"You aren't!"  
  
"Look, Ulrich, I can't really talk right now..."  
  
"What do you mean? Where are you?" he said, his voice sounding angry. I heard a shushing sound in the background, no doubt Odd telling him to bring it down a notch.  
  
Suddenly Odd's voice was on the phone. "Wherever you are, Yumi, you should come soon. You should see Ulrich's face right now. Its all..."  
  
"Odd!" Ulrich cut in, evidently wrestling his phone back. I smiled in spite of myself.  
  
"Would you hurry it up in there?" Clover's voice came ringing through the locker room.  
  
I covered the receiver so Ulrich couldn't hear. "I'm coming!" I yelled back at Clover and then held the phone back up to my ear. "Sorry, Ulrich, I really can't talk right now. I'm fine though, really, don't worry about me. I gotta go. Bye."  
  
"Yumi! Don't you..." Ulrich started, but I pressed the end button and his voice was cut off. I stared at my cell phone wistfully for a minute but then shoved it in the locker that had Sissy's and my clothes stuffed in it.  
  
I ran back out to the waiting Sam, Alex, and Clover. Clover rolled her blue eyes and put her hands on her hips. "About time! I was about to take a nap!"  
  
"But Clover, you take a long time on your cell phone too, especially when the caller's David," Alex pointed out innocently.  
  
Clover turned red; either from the statement or from the name David, I couldn't exactly tell. She brushed her short hair back awkwardly, as if to ease the tension then snapped, "Well, let's get on with it!"  
  
"Right," Sam said, smirking a little at the red faced Clover. She turned to me. "Okay, Yumi. We're going to put your skills to the test. Fighting skills, that is. We'll all attack you at the same time and you'll have to defend yourself and take us down," she flipped her long red hair, "if possible."  
  
"Wait, doesn't three against one seem just a little unfair?"  
  
"Well, when you become a real WOOHP spy on real missions, sometimes the odds are much worse," Alex said knowingly.  
  
"And they usually aren't in our favor," Sam added and then continued. "We won't go easy on you. Just do the best you can."  
  
"In other words," Clover said causally, "you're going down!" In a flash all three of them (one in front and two to the sides) held out a pink bottle of mascara. In three clicks, each one of them turned into a long pink staff.  
  
"Huh?" I said nervously, backing up instinctively. "You guys get weapons too?"  
  
"Don't mind if we do!" Clover said forcefully and charged from the side. Sam charged me from the front and Alex from the other side.  
  
I ducked as Alex and Clover reached me and swung their staffs. They ended up hitting each other instead and it sent them flying across the room. "Watch it will you?" I heard Clover mutter in pain.  
  
Sam charged at me, her staff extended. I jumped out of her way, but she just charged me again. I leaped to the side and grabbed her staff with both my hands. She noticed and one eyebrow creased with focus. We struggled back and forth for the weapon. Finally, I let go, jumped up, and kicked her in the stomach. She flew into the back wall. "Sorry!" I called to her in haste.  
  
Then Clover came and took a swing at my head. Quickly, I reached up and grabbed her staff with both hands and then used her momentum to fling her into the opposite wall while retaining my grip on her staff. What resulted was a painful curse from Clover and a stolen weapon for me. "Sorry!" I said again, this time to Clover.  
  
"Okay, hot stuff. Take it easy," Alex said, coming at me again. She swung her staff around and I blocked it with mine. In a sweep of yellow, she kicked my staff out of my hands. I watched as it flew up into the air. I backed up and, as a reaction, she advanced. "I've got you now," she said triumphantly.  
  
"Alex, watch out!" Sam and Clover yelled in unison. Alex looked up just in time to see a staff falling straight at her from above. Then it clunked her on the head and she crumpled into a heap. "Sorry!" I said for the third time. I went over to give Alex a hand up. She groaned as she stood up.  
  
"Geez," she said, rubbing her head where the staff had hit it, "you're really good."  
  
"I agree," Sam said, smiling wide at me in congratulations.  
  
"I think she just has a case of good beginner's luck," Clover said, looking at me in contempt.  
  
"And I just think you're jealous," Alex said, nudging Clover jokingly.  
  
"Humph."  
  
Suddenly, the sound of a cell phone's ring tune pierced the atmosphere. Clover looked at me icily. "Not me," I said innocently, holding up my hands.  
  
Sam reached into her pocket and pulled out what looked like a pink compact. "This is my compowder. I think you'll get one soon enough." She flipped open the top and we all crowded around to see the screen that slid up in place of the mirror. Jerry's face appeared on the screen.  
  
"So, girls, how's the training going?"  
  
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Let's just say that if we keep this up for any longer, Jer, we'll be going home in an ambulance."  
  
"I think we all have had enough training for today," Sam said, smiling.  
  
"Well then, spies, I'll see you when the next mission comes up. As for you, Yumi, you will come back to my office to pick up your compowder. See you soon." With that, the screen switched off.  
  
We went back to the locker room to change. I pulled on Sissy's clothes reluctantly. I was tempted to change into my own, but the only way to get my diary back was to show her that I had worn it the whole day, even though I wasn't at school the whole day.  
  
Hardly after had we gotten everything out of our lockers than the floor beneath us dropped again. I landed in a one-person shuttle this time, with Sam, Alex, and Clover in another shuttle facing the opposite way.  
  
"See you later!" Sam said, the last part turning into a scream as they sped off. At about the same time, my shuttle jet boosted the other way, sending me screaming down a fast straight roller coaster.


	5. Back to School

Author's Note: Thank you too ALL my reviewers, old or new! I welcome you all! A lot of people are saying that I got the personalities just right. I'm so relieved! In response to mornstar's reviews (I thank you for giving a lot, by the way...you certainly have a lot to say and I'm glad!), I know that Brittany has a blue suit but I think the spies look cool in rainbow order. But if it bugs you, let's say Yumi's suit is a blue somewhere between navy and regular blue, okay? So it's a shade darker. And about the language thing, just forget about it, okay? It makes it too complicated. Besides, I'm sure Yumi's learning English in school anyway. And to Son of Xana, you'll be happy because I think there will be plenty of evil in this story for you to feast upon. Now on with the chapter...

* * *

My cell phone rang. I took it out and looked at its glowing green display. Ulrich again. "Hello?"

"Yumi! I haven't seen you for the whole entire day! Where are you?"

I fingered my new compowder and quickly shoved it into my pocket. "Chill out, Ulrich. I'm at the school gates."

I walked through the deserted school path, the sky getting darker behind me. I heard the other line go dead and hung up as well. Soon I saw a figure running toward me from the dorm building.

"Where have you...what happened to you?" Ulrich asked. I laughed at his expression.

"Odd's right, I should've been there to see your face as it looks awfully funny now." I sighed and looked down at myself. "As Sissy told you, she had fun and gave me a makeover."

"Oh," Ulrich said. Then he looked away. Even in the dimming light, I still saw him blush. "I-I think you look nice." I stared at him in surprise for a moment and then smiled.

"Or was he talking about that look?" I said, referring to his face now. I walked up to him and took his hand. "How was the rest of school today?"

Suddenly, Ulrich jerked as if remembering something important. "Where were you today?"

I sighed in annoyance. "How many times have you already asked me that?"

"I would stop if you'd answer."

I walked on. "It's a long story."

"Like we have anything better to do."

I sighed and turned toward him. "I can't tell you."

He dropped my hand. "What do you mean you can't tell me?"

"Exactly that," I said, walking on heedlessly. "I can't tell you."

"You're making me angry Yumi."

"And you're getting me irritated." I turned to look at Ulrich again. "Just drop it. Please. Drop it."

Ulrich hesitated. I turned and walked on without waiting. "Did anything happen in Lyoko today?" I asked as I continued walking on, changing the subject.

"No," Ulrich said, catching up to me again as we reached the dorm building. "Nothing ever happens around here anymore."

"You don't know how wrong you are," I stated as I walked up the stairs. Then I counted the rooms until I found the one I was looking for.

"Why are you going to talk to Sissy?" Ulrich asked. "Have you gone mental along with mysterious?"

"No," I said, and knocked on the door.

It opened and Sissy's face showed up. "Yes? Oh Yumi!"

"Hi Sissy. I'm here to get something of mine."

She narrowed her eyes. "I didn't see you at school much today. What were you doing?"

"Mind your own business, will you?" I snarled at her. "Look, I wore this stupid girly-girl outfit for a whole day. Give me back my diary." I bit off the end of every word in my last sentence sharply. She huffed and went into her room to get it.

"I'll give you your clothes tomorrow," I said, and closed the door in her face for her.

"What was that all about?" Ulrich asked curiously, eyeing the diary I had in my hands.

"She used my diary to threaten me." I reached my room and pushed the door open. "Believe me, its very effective."

"I believe you," Ulrich said simply, plopping down on my bed.

I sat down heavily on my bed and exhaustion swept over me. I hadn't realized how tired I was until I actually had time to rest. I leaned against my wall and closed my eyes. I almost fell asleep before I realized Ulrich was still in my room. I opened my eyes to find him staring at me.

"What?" I asked incredulously. "Are you still mad at me about not telling you about where I was today?"

He smiled and scooted closely to me. "Yes," he said, turning my face to look at him, "but I forgive you, for now." He hesitated and then kissed me lightly. "Good night."

"Good night." As soon as my door was closed, I changed out of Sissy's stifling clothes and into my loose comfortable pajamas. Then I lay back in my bed and stuffed one hand under my pillow.

"A WOOHP spy. Hmm..."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Xana's woken up!"

I pushed my greasy scrambled eggs away, suddenly not hungry. "Why does he always attack when we least expect it?"

"Because that's the best time too?" Ulrich suggested, making me sound stupid. I glared at him.

"Hey, are you going to eat those?" Odd asked, pointing at my breakfast.

"Go for it," I said glumly. Odd's face broke into a smile as he slid his own empty tray away from him and pulled mine closer.

"So Aelita is feeling pulsations huh?" he said through a mouthful of scrambled eggs.

"No really?" Ulrich said sarcastically. "And swallow first before you try to say something." He threw a napkin at Odd.

"I'm worried about her," Jeremy said bluntly.

"Aren't you always?" I said, raising an eyebrow at him. He blushed slightly. "Okay, I'm going to the factory. Its Saturday anyway, so Jim can't rat on us for not being in class." I slid back my chair and stood up. Jeremy and Ulrich stood up also. Odd wiped his mouth and stood to face us.

"Okay, I'm ready," he said with a big smile.

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, catman. Time to strut your stuff."


	6. False Alarm

Author's Note: Many thanks to my lovely reviewers! You guys rock, as always. I'd like to give a special thank you to aligrl34 and G-Force 4 for reviewing "Mayhem Squared". You make me delighted!! :D To everyone else: thanks for the undying support! You make this all worth it! Now this is a long, action-packed (with evil included!) chapter, so let's start it, shall we? To the chapter...

* * *

"Virtualization."

I dropped in a crouch on the forest region's green floor and then looked around. The whole area was filled with tree trunks, most of them not even trees. I waited for Odd and Ulrich and then started running for the tower Aelita was waiting for us at.

When we came into view, she waved. I waved back and came to a stop beside her. "Hi Aelita! How've you been?"

"Fine," she said, smiling sweetly at me. "And you?"

"I guess you could say the same. So, what are we doing now?"

"We are going to travel to the desert region. That seems to be where the pulsations are strongest. Follow me." Without another word, she walked up to the base of the tower, spread her arms out and stepped into the tower. Her body looked as if it was being submerged slowly in liquid as she stepped through.

I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and followed exactly what she did. The sensation was weird but when I next opened my eyes I was inside the tower. The walls were black and blue with information zipping along it. I looked at the platform we were stepping on. It was in the shape of the Xana symbol with its rings lighted up. Once Odd and Ulrich joined us, Aelita stepped to the edge of the platform. Then she looked at us.

"You're going to have to trust me on this. We're going to push off the platform and freefall to the next one. You have to relax and make sure you have fixed where you want to go, or else you might end up in a different place completely." She smiled at us reassuringly and then spread her arms out again with her eyes closed. Then she pushed off slightly from the platform and down she soared.

I looked nervously at the boys. "Wouldn't you like to go before me?" I offered.

"Ladies first," they said in unison, one looking more apprehensive than the next. I sighed and closed my eyes as I stepped to the edge of the platform. Then I pushed off gently and felt myself fall down in the swan dive position. It felt a bit exhilarating but I started slowing as I reached the next platform. I floated gently up to it and touched down. I opened my eyes to see Aelita waiting.

"It wasn't that bad, was it?" she said gently. I shook my head and smiled in return.

Ulrich reached us next. He opened his eyes in a daze as he turned to see Odd come on the platform. Odd opened his eyes and was silent for a moment but then he yelled, "Let's do it again!"

Aelita laughed. "Maybe later. Right now we need to find that activated tower." She walked out of the tower the same way she walked in and we all followed one-by-one. Slowly we were all facing the golden-yellow landscape of the desert region.

I noticed ripples of red in the pathway. "There," I pointed. I watched as they rippled to our left and continued into the distance. "Let's go."

I went first; crossing over the slim sandy bridge that connected the little island the tower was on to the main land. I waited for the rest of them and continued on, following the pulsations, all the while scanning the barren surroundings. Suddenly I stopped and glanced back when I heard Odd give out a cry of warning. Two huge red crabs were crawling their way over to us.

"Get behind me," I said, pushing Aelita in back of me as I turned to face the monsters with Odd and Ulrich in front of me. I snapped open my fan. The monsters stood there silently regarding us, as if daring us to make the first move. I leaned back and whispered to Aelita, "Run."

As soon as she took her first step, the monsters stepped into action. Odd ran over to me as the first one shot and advanced. He ducked from some shots and side-stepped others to reach me. "Yumi," he said hurriedly. "Boost me up!"

I shook his head. "No, Odd. You'll get killed with the backlash."

He shook my shoulders angrily. "Boost me up!" he said more loudly. I sighed and gave in. We ran forward toward one of the crabs. When we got as close as we could, I cupped my hands to make a foot hold for Odd. He stepped into it and I tried my best to give him a boost up as he jumped up himself. He spun around to face the crab's Xana symbol. "Laser arrow!" he yelled and I saw a flash of white speed toward the monster's symbol. It hit the target and the crab staggered for a few seconds. Then it exploded.

"Odd!" I screamed, knowing what would happen. Odd flew back from the explosion and his body de-virtualized.

Meanwhile, Ulrich had used his Triangle to confuse the monster into thinking he was three places at once. Then the real Ulrich jumped out of the formation and up onto some rocks. He jumped onto the crab and stuck his sword in the Xana symbol. He yanked his sword back out and jumped away as the crab exploded.

"Odd's gone," I informed him as we ran after Aelita.

"I know," he said, sheathing his sword again.

Aelita waved at us from behind a sand dune that resembled a boulder. "Where's Odd?" she asked.

"Gone," Ulrich said importantly, "Don't worry though. Knowing him, he's fine. Let's get you to the tower."

Aelita nodded and took off at a sprint again, following the pulsations. They were getting stronger and I saw more of them more frequently. "Its close," she said breathlessly and put on a last burst of speed.

But as we rounded the bend to the spot where the pulsations must surely converge, there was no tower in sight. Instead, there were four humans standing in a tight formation, each of them back to back to another, one facing each direction. The pulsations, surprisingly, converged around them. We slid behind some yellow boulders to watch them.

"Who are they?" Ulrich asked suspiciously. I noticed upon close inspection that each of them had a sword clutched in their hands.

"Whoever they are, I don't think they're good news," I commented.

"Maybe they're here to help," Aelita offered hopefully.

"I have a feeling," I said to her, "that that is not the case."

Ulrich shifted a bit in his crouched position. His scabbard scraped along the sandy ground. All three of us winced as the sound drifted over to the four people standing watch. They were immediately alerted to the sound and all of them turned to face our direction. One signaled to the others and they started forward toward us slowly.

Suddenly, a whizzing sound was heard getting louder every second. Then there was a thud and a crack and the yellow boulder in front of us started to split. It cracked into two pieces and then split apart to reveal us standing there stupidly. I looked down and saw a sword lying in between the two halves of stone.

"Hey, Ulrich," I whispered out of the corner of my mouth. "Can your sword do that?"

"Not that I know of," he whispered back.

"We have been waiting for you." I looked up to see one of the four humans talking. He had black hair that was spiked up in little points.

"You have?" I asked, totally confused.

The boy nodded (he looked only to be a few years older than me). "Why?" Ulrich asked harshly, his voice with a biting edge to it. That was his very serious voice.

"To fight you, of course," said a blonde haired boy that was standing next to the boy who spoke first. He reached out a hand and it started glowing red, as did the air around his face. The sword at my feet glowed red as well and it started hovering in the air. Then the sword flew over to the blonde haired boy who grasped it firmly in his grip and smiled. The smile was almost friendly. Almost.

"Where's the cat-boy?" a red-haired boy asked, stepping up beside his teammates.

"You're lucky," Ulrich snarled. "He was killed when battling Xana's monsters."

"Geez. I guess that makes you even more pitiful." A brown-haired boy stepped up to support his companions. I felt heat rise up into my face in anger. Quick as a flash, I had flicked out my fan and with a flick of the wrist had flung it in his direction. It spun around, its edges glowing red and before the boy could do anything, it hit his hand where he was holding the pommel of his sword. He swore in pain and dropped his sword, clutching his hand while glaring at me. I caught my fan as it sped back to me.

"Let's not waste time on insults," I said angrily. "If you came looking for a fight, you definitely found one, whether you think its pitiful or not."

"Then lets get it on," the black haired boy said, his lips curling into a smile.

Instantly, he rushed me. I knew what he was going to do so I jumped out of the way. But what I didn't expect was that he ran faster than I could see. _Faster than the speed of light,_ I thought. There was no way I was going to beat this guy if I couldn't even see where he was. He stopped, his sword slashing air. Then he pivoted to spot me again, his black hair rustling a bit in a wind of his own making. He disappeared again.

I ran off in a random direction knowing I was buying myself a few seconds. I racked my brain to find something, anything useful. _Think Yumi think. You're good at that. Now what to do?_ I stopped and changed direction. The black-haired boy appeared for a second, seen sliding on his heels to change direction to follow me again. _You've read a ton of science fiction books. What to do?_ Suddenly, I eyes widened as I remember something. _Wait, in those books, they used magic to feel what was around them. Maybe..._

I had nothing close to magic. But I stopped and stood still anyway, closing my eyes. I lost myself in the surroundings around me. Then I could here the boy's footsteps as he circled around me. I could feel the slight wind he was giving off. He was circling me. I smiled slightly and drew out my fan. Then I opened my eyes and threw slightly ahead of where he was. He ran right into it and he flew back from the impact, rubbing his head bewildered. I caught my fan and sprang away as the red haired boy tried slicing me with his sword. I ran past Ulrich and the brown haired boy struggling back and forth in their sword fight. I also ran past Aelita and the blonde haired boy. They were engaged in a fight using mental skills. The blonde haired boy sent giant boulders of sand at Aelita but she used two boulders to shatter his attack.

I ran a little more then turned in a slight crouch. The boy was almost on top of me in an instant. I opened my trusty fan and was about to try and send it underneath his arms into his chest when he charged forward and the blade of his sword sliced through the inside of my fan. I froze and it was as if time slowed down. I saw the tip of his blade on the other side of my fan and I was washed in a wave of sadness and despair.

"You broke my fan," I said softly. I gazed into his eyes with such hatred that he backed up a bit. But before he could get too far away, I snapped my fan closed, causing his sword's blade to be caught within my fan's many folds. Then I twisted my fan around. He lost his grip on his sword as it spun around. I threw it up and caught it in my hand. Then I put my fan away. He gaped as he watched me advance with his sword. "It's only fair," I said, shrugging innocently. Then I plunged ahead and struck the boy in the stomach with his own sword. He gasped for air at first and then de-virtualized as the blade went through him. "Who's next?" I whispered.

"You!" came the response. The black haired boy had climbed up onto a yellow boulder nearby. He jumped down at me now with his sword outstretched. I caught it and parried in a clash of metal. He charged ahead and I slipped on the sandy ground. As I went down, he instantly took the opportunity to try and pierce me in the head. I rolled away from his sword and got on my elbows. Then I kicked him in the stomach with my two legs and then hopped up to see him stagger away, clutching where I had kicked him. I took the opportunity and rushed up, knocking his sword out of his hand and sending it tumbling into the blankness below. Then I pushed him over as well.

"See you next fall!" I said, waving as he dropped away.

"Impact!" I heard from a little ways away. I looked over to see Ulrich find an opening and stab the brown haired boy in the stomach. The boy de-virtualized immediately. Then a rock flew by in my vision and I watched as it smashed the blonde haired boy painfully.

Aelita brushed her hands together in satisfaction. "Are they gone?" she asked hopefully.

I nodded and stuck the sword I had been using into the ground point first. Ulrich came over to look at it. "You were using that?" he asked.

I nodded. "The red haired guy broke my fan, so I took it from him." I sighed sadly. "My fan..."

"Can be fixed," Jeremy said in my mind.

"Jeremy! Really?" I asked hopefully.

"Of course. Get back to Earth team; you've done a good job. The pulsations turned out to be fake, a false alarm."

"False alarm?" Ulrich asked, raising an eyebrow. "How come it's never happened before?"

"I don't know, Ulrich, but I'm working on it." Jeremy paused and then said, "I'm going to try the materialization program, all right?"

"Shoot," I said in return.

"Okay. I hope this works...materialization."


	7. Briefing

Author's Note: Thank you once again to all my reviewers! Thank you, Beverly, Vulcan Princess for reading and reviewing my other story "Mayhem Squared". That was sweet of you! As for the spies coming to Lyoko, that's kinda weird for me so I'm keeping them in their respective worlds. But the spies will be part of it soon, as you will see, and they will fit into the grand scheme of things. Thank you again for my reviews! (Can I have my cookie now, mornstar?) Now for the chapter...

* * *

My virtualization pod opened up. I stepped out of it wonderingly just as Ulrich did the same from his. We greeted each other with grins, and then we both sprinted for the elevator, as if we were racing the other to see who could get there first. 

"Jeremy, Jeremy!"

"It works!"

Jeremy looked at us skeptically from behind his big computer. Ulrich and I each ran around the circle, which was projecting a holographic view of Lyoko. Jeremy broke into a grin himself when he saw us. "I'm glad. After I make a few more adjustments to make the transition less bumpy, Aelita can come visit us."

Aelita smiled as Ulrich and I whooped with joy. Odd, who had been sitting in the corner eating some chips, came up and cheered also. Then when we all quieted, he looked from me to Jeremy to Ulrich. "What are we cheering about again?"

"Odd!" we all said at the same time, giving Odd exasperated looks.

"What?" he said innocently, spreading out his arms in question.

Jeremy, as usual, was the first to become serious again. "But I still don't understand how Xana can employ false pulsations. It's not like him. We have another thing to worry about now: if the pulsations are real or fake."

I sat on the ground next to Jeremy's chair. Ulrich came over and sat next to me. "Maybe Xana is redoubling his efforts at trying to destroy us," he mused. "I mean, we'll have to go to Lyoko every time he creates pulsations, just to be sure and then he'll take the opportunity every time to try and bombard us with monsters."

I turned to Ulrich. "Well, that's a pleasant thought."

He shrugged. "It could be true."

I turned to face Jeremy again. "Hey, Jeremy. Do you have anything on those other humans we encountered?"

Jeremy typed furiously at his super computer but shook his head slowly. "Nothing. I can't find anything on them. But I don't think they're with Xana."

"Then what are they doing there?" I said angrily, remembering again my broken fan. "And why did they attack us?"

"Maybe they're confused," Odd suggested.

Ulrich gave Odd a smug look. "Like you?" Odd smacked Ulrich on the head. Ulrich rubbed his head resentfully while giving Odd a glare.

"Actually," Jeremy said, never looking away from his computer screen, "what Odd said could be possible."

"Nope, not possible," I said resolutely. Odd and Ulrich stopped trying to hit each other to look at me and listen. "Remember what they said? They were waiting for us. Waiting for us to fight them. All three of us," I said, turning to look at Ulrich and Odd. "They even asked about you, Odd. They wondered why you weren't there."

"Wow, I guess I'm more popular than I thought," Odd said, grinning jokingly.

"Yeah...with the freaks!" Ulrich said, leaning back in satisfaction. Odd tried again to smack Ulrich on the head.

"Guys, cut it out," I said as Ulrich tumbled into me, the result of ducking away from Odd's swing attempt.

"Well," Jeremy said, turning once again back to the computer screen, "whatever they are here for, it doesn't seem like good news. I think I might have to have Aelita check it out."

Suddenly, a ring tone I had never heard before sounded in my pocket. I froze, along with my friends and they all turned to look at me. With a tremendous thud, I realized what it was. My compowder. In the silence of the factory, the ring was even louder than normal.

"Uh..." I finally started, fishing in my pocket and getting to my feet. "Excuse me, for just a moment..." I didn't wait for them to say anything in response. I took off for the elevator and once I was safely inside it on my way up, I reached into my pocket and snapped open the ringing pink compowder.

"There you are Yumi. I've been trying to reach you for five minutes."

_Five painfully long minutes,_ I added in my brain. "No kidding."

Jerry's face contorted as he raised an eyebrow. "Where are you?"

"Uh...at school. But once I get outside I'm sure you can just WOOHP me away."

Jerry crossed his arms disapprovingly. "You'd better hope so. We have a serious crisis on our hands."

Suddenly the screen was shifted violently with much protest from Jerry and Clover's angry face appeared on the compowder screen. "Where are you?" she screeched. "We have been waiting for ten minutes! Do you know that it is very rude to be late to an appointment?"

I winced. "Sorry, Clover. Look, I'll talk to you later."

"What? No one hangs up on..." I switched my compowder shut just as the elevator neared the top floor.

I staggered outside and leaned against the wall for a bit. "Don't I ever get a break?" I asked to myself. Then I ran across the bridge and into the manhole.

A few minutes later, I was out of our sewer passageway and in the forest. I ran to the main road and ran out of the school. As soon as I touched the sidewalk, it shivered and opened up underneath me. Even though I should have been expecting it, I screamed as I dropped in.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"About time," was my greeting as I landed with a bounce on the pink landing couch. I had dropped out of the ceiling and landed right next to Clover (just my luck). I glanced up at the furious Clover and gave her a weak smile.

"Gather around, spies. Something odd indeed has happened."

All four of us got up and made our way over to the couch in front of Jerry's desk. I made it a point to make sure I sat between Alex and Sam. Once we were all seated, Jerry cleared his throat and continued. "It seems two criminals broke into a U.S. military base. The base is a very important station, considering there are scientists down there working on national defense and artificial intelligence. The base is highly protected, seeing as if anyone stole anything from the base they would be considered highly armed. But, it seems that the criminals broke in and somehow disappeared, not stealing anything."

"That's weird," Sam said, cocking her head to her side in thought. Her red hair had been brought up in a sweeping ponytail with two strands hanging loose to either side of her face. "Usually you break into a place to get something and get out. Does anyone know where they went?"

Jerry shook his head. "Unfortunately no. They were not reported to have left the building though a thorough search of the entire base turned up nothing either."

"And where do we fit into all this?" Alex asked, getting straight to the point.

Jerry nodded at her, acknowledging that that was a good question. "Base officials think that the criminals might be probably after a highly guarded and experimental artificial intelligence chip. With the chip, you could undoubtedly create a large army of highly capable robots at your service, with which you would then conquer the world." He placed his hands on his desk and leaned on them. "Your job, girls, will be to guard the chip until further notice."

Before he could continue, Clover leaned back in her seat in disapproval and crossed her arms across her chest. "You mean, we are going to be guards for this mission? How totally lame."

"I'll have to agree with Clover on that one, Jer. Don't they have an abundance of muscle heads to guard that place?" Sam interjected more peacefully.

Jerry leaned forward even more. "Girls, I'm asking you to do this as more of a favor than a mission. I am very worried." His usually calm face was wrinkled with worry. I exchanged questioning glances with Alex and Sam. He sighed and adjusted his tie. "Believe me, I'm doing what I think is best."

"Okay, Jer," I said soothingly. "We'll do it for you."

"Who asked you?" Clover mumbled softly, but I had already made the decision for all of us.

"Thank you," Jerry said, genuinely relieved. Again, we all exchanged glances, this time with worry. Obviously, the emotion of worry was contagious. Then he looked up, adjusted his tie again and resumed his official, businesslike voice. "And now for the gadgets."

Alex rubbed her hands together in delight. Jerry's desk surface descended and then came up again with an array of things on it. "Today, you will be utilizing the crime scene scanner watches, laser lipsticks, expandable cable bungee belts, Ice Queen perfumes, hairpin high-jumper extender poles, manicure kit with press on sticky fingers in electric blue, nano-technology eye shadow, and your trusty jet pack backpacks which now come in colors to match your suits." He picked up the things as he said them and when he finished, he threw us each our packs. "Now have fun, girls, and good luck. And by the way, I suggest you drink a lot of coffee to keep you awake, as you will need the caffeine. Ta ta."

With a flip of our couch, we were on our way.


	8. First Mission

Author's Note: Thank you again for all my LOVELY reviewers! I could gush praises about you all day, but I don't really think you would appreciate that much. I'll try to read all your stories and review them, but I'm really busy so I'll try my best! Beverly, Vulcan Princess, calm yourself. You will see in time. I also thank Kay and CodeLyoko for taking time and inputting their opinion! Also to mornstar and your barrage of questions...you will also see...and thank you for the cookie. I'm looking forward to my roses! And this chapter is dedicated to Turok 2 who poses as a character! (Thank you, thank you, thank you for putting me in your story!) Everyone who reads this should go check out his story "True Love". It's very well written. Now onto my chapter...

* * *

"So you are the spies that I was said to be expecting," said a formidable officer in a crisp olive general uniform.

"Uh...yep, that's us!" Sam said cheerfully. All four of us smiled sweetly. The officer that commanded the military base looked unconvinced.

He scratched his chin. "I was looking for someone more...um...how should I say it...experienced."

We stopped smiling and replaced our happy faces with frowns. "Hey!" Clover said indignantly, all composure lost. "We, I'll have you know, are the best spies in the business. We are as experienced as they come, except for maybe that one," she added in an undertone and pointed at me. I growled low and clenched my fists.

"That's not true. I do remember kicking your butt in training." I smiled wide as I heard Clover growl this time.

Sam gave us a slicing glance then turned to face the commander, smiling. "I assure you sir that we are very equipped and ready for this mission. Count on us and we won't let you down." Behind her, Alex saluted crisply as if proving Sam's words true.

The general raised an eyebrow. "All right. I'll trust you. I suppose you..."

"Uh...dad?"

All four of us turned to the doorway of the base. Outside, framed by the island's edge the base was situated on and the water, was a boy looking about my age looking a bit nervous. He had dark blond hair that reached his shoulder and he brushed a strand back impatiently. His skin was slightly tan and his eyes brown eyes that hinted green gazed around the room awkwardly.

"Yes son?" the commander asked, standing up.

"Um...remember the party at our house?" he said, tapping a foot on the ground with sharp clicks. It was then that I noticed that he was wearing a tuxedo suit. He looked very uncomfortable. I understood, as I don't think I would have been all smiles in that suit either. "It's starting in five minutes. You should get over there."

"Yes right, thank you Graham. I'll be with you in a second. Oh and spies, meet my son, Graham." Graham blushed and looked as if he could have done without the introduction.

"How's it going?" Sam asked politely.

"Nice to meet you!" Alex said sweetly.

"Have a nice day," I added after a second's thought, since Sam and Alex had both took the normal reactions. Graham gave me an odd glance.

"Hey," Clover said flirtatiously. All three of us glared at her and I elbowed her in the arm. "Ouch!" she said resentfully, rubbing where I had poked her. "I mean, what's up?" this time she said it in a considerably duller voice.

"Nice to meet you too," he said, smiling nervously. "Now dad, we need to go."

"Right. Be right there. My guards will show you the way to the room. I wish you luck and contact me immediately if something happens." All four of us nodded as one and saluted as he walked by and out of the base.

"Right this way," said one of the guards, stepping forward and gesturing. We followed, our heels clicking on the metal floor.

"I noticed that his son's cute," Clover squealed.

I gave her a glare. "And I noticed that he's way too young for you."

"There's no problem with that," she said huffily.

"There is a problem when you happen to be on a mission at the moment!" Sam said furiously.

"Well, it sure looks like a fun party he's going too," Alex commented flatly, stating that she meant exactly the opposite of what she said.

"I'll have to agree with you on that one," I said, winking at her. Alex laughed.

Then we reached the sliding doors that led into the room in which the chip was contained.

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"Perfect, we are stuck here in this gloomy, not to mention dark room at some military base in the middle of nowhere because we are guarding some chip? Please!" Clover said annoyingly from behind the metal podium that had the chip suspended above it in the air in a beam of blue light. Other than that, there was no other lighting in the room and everything else in my vision was shrouded in darkness, creating quite an eerie effect. "Could my day get any better?" Clover concluded her opinion in sarcasm.

"Clover, please, we're supposed to be on watch here. How can we hear anything over your whining?" I said gently. Clover had made it a point to sit farthest from me, on the opposite side of the podium. I didn't hurry to protest. Alex slumped against the podium on my left and Sam to my right.

"I'm not whining!" she insisted loudly, loud enough so that Sam, Alex, and I all winced. "It's not my fault I had three mochas before I got here to keep me awake. Caffeine isn't good for me."

"Or for anyone," Sam hissed. "But, if you don't mind Clover, can we talk about nutritional facts later?"

Clover fell silent. I sighed in relief. "Finally," I breathed out silently and stared straight ahead. I had been sitting here for over four hours and was about to burst. Everyone's tempers were running high and I was sure that all of our rumps were sore by now. I sighed again and my mind drifted off. _I wonder what Ulrich is doing right now. Is he having fun?_ I shook my head at the thought. _No, more importantly, does he miss me?_ I clenched my fists in anger at being pulled away for a stupid mission such as this. What a great first mission this was. _If some criminal is going to attack, please make it snappy and soon_, I thought, shifting my legs slightly while holding on to my pack that was propped up beside me.

Suddenly, a shadow swooped down in front of me, just outside where the light from the beam reached. I heard the faint sounds of feet hitting the ground. I straightened up, fully awake and alert. _Be careful what you wish for_, I thought nervously. I reached over to shake Alex's shoulder. She turned to look at me quizzically just as I heard Clover yawn noisily. The figure in front of me took that moment to attack.

"AH!" I yelled as the figure lunged forward. I could tell it was a male but I couldn't identify anything else because he was almost covered in black. But my sharp reflexes saved him from snatching the chip. As soon as he reached out with one hand for the chip, I leaned back on the floor and stuck out my arms and legs. My blue high-heeled feet caught him right in the gut, making him gasp to try and breath and I threw him back with my hands. He flew backwards and hit the wall a second later with a grunt and a thump.

"Clover, watch out!" I heard at about the same time the guy I threw back hit the wall. Sam yelled it as she came in and tackled another guy from the side. Clover screamed in alarm but then scrambled up in a clacking of boots along with Alex.

"Quick, we have to keep them off the chip!" Alex shouted, as if we didn't already know that. I reached down and slipped on my blue pack for safekeeping. Then Alex, Sam, Clover, and I all backed up until we were plastered onto the podium, creating a human wall around the floating chip. The two criminals could be seen now, although they were still only outlines. They circled around and attacked from either side, this time rushing Sam and Alex.

Suddenly there came a piercing ring in my pocket. I recognized the tone as my compowder. "Uh, sorry to rush you Jer, but it kind of is the wrong time to call," I said, eyeing the attackers nervously and then glancing down at Jerry's face on the compowder screen.

"Agreed. The general of the base you are in is having a party at his house celebrating the breakthrough of the artificial intelligence chip. Unfortunately, the party has been crashed rather violently. I need at least two of you spies to look into this right away. I've pinpointed their house on the computer and am sending the coordinates to your compowder as we speak. Hurry, Yumi." Jerry's face switched off without another word. I slipped the compowder hurriedly back into my pocket and turned to tell Sam.

"Heard the whole thing," she said through gritted teeth as she wrestled one of the attackers. "Take Clover and go!"

I nodded and ran around to the side and grabbed Clover's hand. "What the...?" she started but I put a finger to my lips, indicating I would explain later. Quickly we ran out of the room and past the guards, who yelled at us to come back. We sprinted down the halls and reached the door out. We ran outside and had already clicked on our jet pack backpacks before the outside guards could do anything.

We flew over the water at a quick pace. I explained everything to Clover in the process. "How coincidental that the attack on the chip came at the exact same time as the attack on the home of the general of the same base," Clover mused.

That thought perked my brain. "Of course! It must be coincidental! The people that are trying to steal the chip and the people that broke into the general's house must be working together. They planned this!" The ring tone in my pocket came again.

I opened up my compowder but this time I saw a map instead of Jerry's face. There was a white dot on it that kept flashing. "That's where the house is," I said, pointing to the map. "Let's go pay them a visit."


	9. Kidnappers

Author's Note: Thank you, again and forever more, to my reviewers! To you I am forever indebted (well, maybe not _forever_). You all sure have a lot of questions, but I'm not answering them! You'll have to see for yourself what happens by reading. (Beverly, Vulcan Princess, don't hurt yourself!) Thank you, thank you, thank you! Now for the next chapter, which still features Turok 2 (I hope you are enjoying your role). Enjoy everyone!

* * *

"We need to have the element of surprise on our side. We need to be inconspicuous," I stated, glancing around a red brick pillar that held up the main gates to a huge mansion. Clover was peeking around the one across from me. We watched as guests scattered to and fro out of the house in panic. I noticed that they were all dressed really fancily.

"Uh!" Clover said in exasperation as she looked down at her spy suit. "So much for inconspicuous. Oh wait! I have an idea!" She clicked open her own compowder and contacted Jerry.

"Yeah, we're here Jer but unfortunately I don't think we can get in looking as we do now so if you could send something dressy, that would be nice." Jerry said something and Clover nodded. "He says the outfits are on their way." Right after she said that, two heart shaped backpacks with a big flower in the middle floated down from the sky attached to parachutes.

"I guess he was right," I stated flatly, grabbing the blue backpack that was obviously mine. Clover snatched the red one from out of the air and detached the parachute from it. Then she took the long strap and slung it over one shoulder.

She sighed. "Bushes anyone?" she said grumpily as she ran towards some bushes.

Minutes later, we emerged from the bushes in just above the knee length halter-top dresses. Mine was navy blue and Clover's was dark red. Each was identical except for the color. There was sequin flowers sowed on in the corner of the dresses and the ankle shoes Jerry gave us were matching our dresses. Mine was light blue and blue and Clover's was obviously her shades of red. We stuffed our spy suits into our new backpacks along with all our gadgets and ran out to the front gate once more, looking considerably more fancy than before.

Our high-heels were muffled as we ran across the lawn and toward the grand double door entrance. We waited to one side for the continuous stream of guests to stop running out but it seemed they would never end. "I guess we'll have to do this the spy way," Clover said resolutely, pulling out her bungee belt. I nodded and pulled mine out as well, clicking it in place around my waist.

"One...two...three!" we yelled in unison as we shot our bungee belts into the house next to a giant chandelier. We rolled ourselves inside and some of the guests screamed even louder at the sight of us. I ignored them as I landed in a crouch on a highly polished hardwood floor.

"Where are the intruders?" I asked, looking around.

"There!" Clover pointed. I saw two black clad figures run up the stairs that curved gracefully upward in both directions. A mess of people was running after them, but they were still a distance behind, despite the fact that the two figures in front of them were carrying a heavy looking load of goods stolen from the house.

"Time to kick some bad guy butt!" Clover explained as she held up the heart shaped end of her bungee belt and aimed for the railing of the stairs. I did the same and soon we were both leaping over the railing and running after the intruders upstairs.

But once we turned the corner, they were gone. "Where did they go?" Clover asked.

"Help!" screamed a voice to our right up ahead. I ran up there and tried the doorknob. It was locked.

"Stand back," Clover said and backed up herself. Then she ran up and gave the door a flying kick. Instantly it gave way. I raced into the large room to find Graham slung over the shoulder of one of the intruders.

"Does that answer your question?" I asked Clover, pointing while rushing over to help. "Hold on! I've got you!" I screamed as I leaned out the window to try and grab his hand. The intruder leapt up the wall just in time and I barely missed falling out the window. Clover grabbed my arm just in time and pulled me back inside.

"Whew, thanks Clover," I said, smiling at her shakily. "That was close. But they've got Graham! They're going to kidnap him! We have to do something!"

Clover reached into her red backpack. "Care for a manicure?" she asked as she took out the manicure kit. She flashed the bottle of electric blue nail polish in my face before she took my hands and squeezed a bit of the stuff into both palms. I smiled at her quick thinking and proceeded to climb into the windowsill as Clover applied some to her own hands.

I reached out and stuck my hand on the side of the house. It stuck well. I reached out my other hand and in this way climbed hand over hand after the intruders with Clover right behind me.

Finally I reached the roof of the mansion. Exhausted, I could barely pull Clover up without toppling over myself. Then I noticed the helicopter that had landed on the roof. I saw the two figures were running over there and about to board the plane.

Without another word, I ran over there and caught the one carrying Graham with a kick to the back. The person fell over and his cloak fell off, revealing his face. It was a boy about Clover's age and his black hair was up in spikes. I gasped. _Why does he look familiar?_ I asked myself but had no time to ponder further because he shoved the poor Graham bound by hands and feet behind him and whipped out a retractable staff. He shoved it in front of him and twirled it a few times.

"Okay kung fu master," I said, taunting him as I took out my hairpin high-jumper extender pole and held it out in front of me. It extended to the length his staff was. "Bring it on!"

He rushed me and I blocked with my thin metal staff. We pushed, back and forth, both of our staffs clanging with impact. He kept pushing me back, making me lose ground. I looked over my shoulder uneasily, taking in the pool that was on the roof a bit further away. When I turned back, the boy had snapped my thin staff in half.

"Uh-oh," I said and then sprang out of the way as he brought his staff down to try and hit me. _Mental note to self_, I thought. _Tell Jerry to make the hairpin high-jumper extender pole stronger!_ I sprang out of the way of another attack.

Finally, I reached into my pack and grabbed my Ice Queen perfume. Then I whipped around and aimed for his staff. "It's time you chilled a little," I said, and sprayed. Instantly, his staff froze in his hands. I whipped around with a follow up roundhouse kick and the staff had shattered into millions of ice pieces. The boy staggered back and then suddenly turned to race to the helicopter, hefting up Graham again in the process. The other figure was already in the driver's seat. "Oh no!" I screamed as the chopper started rising, the wind it made forcing me to shield my face.

I looked around for Clover and found her storming furiously out of the pool, dripping wet. "I hope this dress isn't dry clean only, or else that guy will pay big time!" Then she looked around blankly. "Hey where'd they go?"

I had already busied myself with letting my bungee belt fly. It attached to the side of the plane and I went flying. I screamed as a gust of cold wind knocked the breath out of my lungs. I hung on for dear life as we ascended into the air. I gritted my teeth against the cold and concentrated on climbing up my bungee cord.

After what seemed like two eternities, I reached out to touch the side of the helicopter. The figures in the front hadn't noticed me yet but they would soon. As silently as I could, I grabbed onto the one of the railings on the bottom of the helicopter and grabbed my laser lipstick out of my backpack. Then I switched it on and started a hole in the side of the helicopter. As soon as I crawled in, one of the boys spotted me.

"Hey! Get out!" he yelled, unbuckling his seat belt and standing up to face me. But in the time it took for him to unbuckle himself out of his seat, I had already scooted across the plane and was dragging Graham with me toward the hole again.

"Do you have a parachute?" he yelled at me above the whistling wind.

"I wish!" I roared back and looked over my shoulder to see the boy reach for us. "No time to worry!" I screamed and wrapped my arms securely around Graham before jumping off the plane.

Both of us were screaming as we plunged at breakneck speed for the ocean below us. I squeezed my eyes shut, tears coming to them because of the cold and because I was sure I was going to die. Suddenly, I was jerked back to reality when I was jolted to a stop in the air. I risked a glance to my side to find that Clover was the one that had grabbed one of my arms that were wrapped around Graham. She had on her jet pack backpack.

"Nice catch," I croaked.

"Your welcome," she said, winking. "Now pass over Graham to my other hand."

I did so and my tired arms felt instant relief. "We're not dead?" Graham asked incredulously, looking from Clover to me.

I shook my head and laughed. "Barely. You have Clover to thank for that." Clover winked again, this time at Graham.

"Now, lets get you back to your dad. He must be worried sick," Clover said as she turned to start in the other way.

We flew over the ocean silently and swiftly and soon we were back at the mansion. Clover set Graham and I gently down on the roof where the whole household, along with a crowd of guests were waiting. They all cheered loudly as we landed and I immediately went over to cut Graham's bonds with the laser lipstick. He shook his hands to get the circulation running again and then gave me a huge grin. I gave him one back.

Clover came over and put an arm around me. "You know, I think we both just played hero today."

I smiled up at her. "I think we weren't playing. We are heroes. And Clover, you aren't as bad as I thought."

"You're pretty okay yourself," she said happily, watching as his mother and father embraced Graham warmly. "For a beginner," she added playfully and we both laughed when I punched her lightly on the arm.


	10. Fatigue

Author's Note: Sorry, so sorry for not posting in a while. I just recently noticed that life has still been going on with the realization that school will be starting soon. That's why I've been so busy and why I haven't had a chance to post sooner. But I'll give my customary thanks to all my readers and reviewers here. Yay, Son of Xana, you are reviewing again (I'm glad that I helped you with your writer's block...if only someone would help me with mine...)! And I'm so glad you could imagine it like an episode on TV, vampirehunterD-lover! It made me feel great, like I'm doing the actual creators of these cartoons justice, or something. To mornstar, I didn't think I gave them too many gadgets, as they will use them all, but oh well. And to CodeLyoko, you are on the right track, although that situation pales to what the bigger picture holds (whoa, I sounded all mysterious...sweet!). Anyway, thanks again to ALL of you. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

* * *

"I must say, girls, that I have never been more proud of you."

We were back in Jerry's office. Jerry had a steaming cup of tea in his hands as the rest of us had steaming mugs of hot chocolate. We had been draped with warm towels as soon as the WOOHP jet picked us up and now we were getting warmed up. Sam and Alex, still in their spy suits, were lounging on the ground while Clover and I were curled up in our halter-top dresses on the couch.

Jerry leaned back in his black chair. "Not only were Sam and Alex able to successfully beat off the robbery attempt, but Clover and Yumi were able to simultaneously stop a kidnap attempt on the base general's son."

"Talk about multi-tasking," Alex commented, sipping on her hot chocolate.

I wrapped my two hands around the mug to try to transfer some of the liquid's heat into my hands. "But that's exactly it, Jerry. It was too coincidental. I think the robbers and the kidnapers are working together."

"It doesn't matter what they were trying to do. All that matters is that we let them get away. I even scanned the fingerprints on my hairpin high-jumper extender pole with my scanner watch but apparently the WOOHP database has nothing on these criminals. They're as elusive as smoke," Sam said dejectedly.

"But why would they try to steal a artificial intelligence chip and try to steal a general's son at the same time? They aren't related at all!" Clover said, gesturing her point with her hands.

"Maybe," Alex said, looking thoughtful. "But maybe not."

Sam had resumed the same look and her eyes widened with a revelation. "Alex is right! Why send all your men after the chip when kidnapping the general's son and ransoming him for the chip works just as well? That's why they split their forces; they would have double the chance to get what they want!"

The information left all of us, even Jerry, stunned into silence. But, Jerry, like the trained professional he was, was the first to recover. "Girls, this makes the situation even graver than before. If they have this kind of attack in mind, who knows where they can strike next. I better keep you posted. I'll call all of you if something happens right away. But for now, it's around 3 in the morning. You all should get some rest. Could you do me a favor and put all your hot chocolates up here on my desk?"

We obliged. As soon as we all sat down on the couch, a red button surfaced on Jerry's desk. "Ta ta," he said with a yawn and pressed it. Immediately the couch flipped over and deposited us in our shuttle cars that traveled at break-neck speed. As soon as I had been plopped into my one-person shuttle, the cover slid closed and I was shot off toward school.

* * *

"Yumi! Get up! Yumi!" 

I groaned and turned onto my other side. Two hands turned me back around to face the opposite side and shook me roughly. I reached out blindly to try and slap the hands away. The person that was annoying me caught them in their hands instead. I made a noise in protest and tried to pull my hands back but the person wouldn't let go.

"Yumi! You are going to be late for class! Yumi! Why do I even bother?"

I opened my eyes into a slit and stared painfully into piercing bright sunlight. Then Ulrich's face popped into my eyesight. "Get up lazy bum! Class is in three minutes!"

I sat up groggily and looked around, blinking stupidly. "But I just fell asleep a minute ago," I protested in a slurred voice. I ran a hand through my tangled hair. "It can't be time to get up yet."

"Uh, hate to break it to you Yumi, but yes it can. Why are you so tired anyway? Where did you go? And what are you wearing?"

I looked down at myself and found myself looking at a rumpled and wrinkled blue halter-top dress. My eyes widened. _I must have been too tired to change before I went to sleep last night._

Ulrich shook his head. "You can explain later. And trust me, you have a lot of explaining to do. Anyway, here." He threw some articles of clothing at me from my closet. One hit me in the face and I had to claw it off hurriedly in order to breathe. "Change, and fast."

I sighed and rubbed my eyes. "Can't I just skip first period? I've done it loads of times before."

"Yeah, sure. Then Jim walks in to find you snoring away. I don't think so."

"Well," I said, finally waking up a bit, "its better than falling asleep in class."

Ulrich snorted. "Tell Odd that. Now hurry up. I'll wait for you outside." With that he walked out of my room and closed the door.

I sighed and gazed at the clothes that Ulrich had picked out. A plaid skirt and a spaghetti strap black top. "Nice going," I muttered. But I was too tired to rummage for something else to wear, so I pulled everything on. Then I grabbed a black button up sweater to put on over my spaghetti strap top and buttoned only the first button. It made my top look like a V-neck and made me feel less exposed. Then I combed my hair briskly and grabbed my school bag.

Ulrich was, as customary, leaning against the wall next to my door. I locked my door and turned to face him with a yawn. He eyed me warily. "What has been up with you this past few days?"

I shook my head. "You wouldn't want to know."

We walked down the stairs and into the bright morning sunlight. I shielded my eyes with a hand and saw Jeremy and Odd walking toward us.

"Oh why hello sleeping beauty," Odd joked. "Back into the world of living, I see."

I gave him a haughty look. "Good morning to you too, Odd." Then I noticed the piece of toast he was holding. "What's that you got there? A early morning snack right after breakfast?"

"It was going to be, but someone," here he looked pointedly at Jeremy, "was going to kill me if I didn't save it for you. So here." He handed me the toast wistfully. I smiled and broke it in half, handing him one of the halves. "You mean it?" he asked eagerly.

"No, Odd," Jeremy said, as if he was a grown-up scolding a small child. "Ulrich hasn't eaten breakfast either. Give it to him."

"Sorry, Odd," I said, winking and handed the half of toast to Ulrich, who started munching on it hungrily.

"So what's up with the outfit?" Odd asked cheerily as we headed for our first class. "Did Sissy pick it for you again?"

"No, I did, to save time and drag her out of bed," Ulrich grumbled. I flushed.

"Huh, I see," Odd said, eyeing me up and down. "No wonder she's wearing a skirt."

"ODD!" Ulrich said, springing to tackle him. Odd leaped away like a gazelle from a tiger, laughing merrily. Ulrich gave chase immediately.

I broke off a piece of the crust of the toast and munched thoughtfully. "I wonder what that was all about."

Jeremy looked at me disbelievingly. "Even I got that one."

I thought some more and then stopped chewing and flushed when I realized what Odd had meant.

The bell suddenly gave off its loud clanging sound, forcing Jeremy and me to take evasive action and cover our ears as we sprinted to our classrooms.

* * *

_Is history even a major subject? Like we're going to use it anyway when we grow up unless we want to become historians or boring history teachers like him…_

I was forcing myself with sheer will to keep myself awake and upright. As a result, I had resorted to doodling to keep my eyes open. It was something I actually liked doing. I picked my pencil absentmindedly and put it to the worksheet in front of me. Then my mind started drifting off into the world of dreams and I had to concentrate all my brainpower to keeping myself awake again. What happened to doodling? I looked down to see what I had drawn, then jolted up in a brief moment of full awareness when I realized I had been writing Ulrich's name everywhere. Hastily I grabbed my eraser and set dutifully to my new task: erasing it. I realized how very much like Sissy's diary my worksheet had looked like. Of course, her handwriting was curlier but I shuddered at the resemblance. I needed caffeine and fast, or else I would turn into Sissy.

Suddenly, I was jolted into another moment of full awareness when something sounded in my backpack. I risked a glance at my teacher, who was busily writing something on the board. I reached down and ran a hand through everything in my backpack until I came across my vibrating cell phone. Gazing at my teacher nervously, I brought my cell phone up and peeked at it.

"S.O.S. Xana…Ulrich."

Uh-oh.

My hand went up. "Sir, can I please go to the infirmary?"


	11. Pulsations and Chaos

Author's Note: I've been telling everyone, so I'd might as well tell all my faithful readers and reviewers (although some of you have already read this...if you have, please continue on and skip this part). I haven't been able to update in so long because a demon called school has reared its ugly head and before I could fully slay it (and I was just about to throw the killing blow), I was swept up in its jaws and thrown into its belly, where I am doomed to spend another time-comsuming year doing classwork and homework and the like. My only savior is summer, which seems so far away. But anyway, the point of that short little story was that that will be the reason why I can't update in a blink of an eye. I'm sorry and I truly wish I could, but I can't. But on with the comments.  
Thank you so much, dreamcaster555, for reviewing so much! You really are a joy to this website!!! And I did read your fabulous story (read review for all my comments). Mornstar and Beverly, Vulcan Princess, all your questions make my head spin so I won't answer them (email me if you really want to ask me a bunch of questions okay?). But by all means, ask questions. I encourage it. And thank you to Kay, Warrior Pixie, aligrl34, CodeLyoko, and spiecas for your various questions, comments, suggestions, and reviews. I LOVE YOU ALL!!!! YOU ROCK!!!  
Okay, this is a long chappie so brace yourselves! Here we go!

* * *

"Aren't you supposed to be at the factory with Odd and Jeremy already?" 

"I wanted to wait for you. Besides, that's what friends are for right?" Ulrich winked at me as he kept pace beside me.

I looked straight ahead. "Friends...right..."

We reached the manhole. I climbed down as Ulrich kept watch. I grabbed my skateboard and gave myself a running start. Soon I was zipping my way through the sewers, scaring a few rats in the process. Then I reached the next manhole and climbed out into the light. I waited for Ulrich to come up and together we started across the bridge. Like an expert, he jumped out and grabbed a rope. I came up right behind him and gracefully slid down the rope. He eyed me when I dropped to a crouch on the floor. "How come your so graceful now?"

I remembered the bungee belt I used with WOOHP. "Uh...practice."

Down the elevator we went.

"About time," Jeremy said as the elevator door slid open to reveal the super computer. "It's insane in Lyoko. It looks like I can't materialize Aelita just yet, or else we won't have any warning if this happens again."

I gathered around with the rest of the boys to watch the screen of the super computer. It contained a 3-D view of all the regions. I gaped as I stared at it more closely.

"There are pulsations everywhere!" I realized finally.

Aelita appeared in her own little screen and nodded. "And they are equally strong in every region so I don't know the source."

I bit my lip as I watch the pulsations on the screen. Jeremy looked equally worried. "This has never happened before, but I'm sending Yumi, Ulrich, and Odd to investigate. You will each go to a region, except one of you will go with Aelita to protect her. Otherwise, you'll be alone in your assigned region."

I nodded but was surprised when Ulrich spoke up. "What about Yumi? Shouldn't we pair up instead of splitting up? Isn't it safer that way?"

I glanced at Ulrich icily. "What? You think I can't protect myself or something?" Ulrich glanced at me uneasily.

Jeremy shook his head. "You each have to go to a different region. But I'm not risking Aelita. We are too close to being able to materialize her and I'm not letting all that hard work go to waste. One of you will have to cover two regions."

"Right," I said immediately and ran with Odd to the elevator with Ulrich trailing behind.

The elevator trip down was silent, but I felt a barrier form between Ulrich and me. What was he playing at? I could fight just as well as he could. I could take care of myself, thank you very much.

But when we were about to step into our scanners, he pulled on my hand. I glanced back at him. "Yumi...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that you were weak. Heck you could probably beat me...but..." he trailed off. I smiled, which seemed to encourage him to go on. "I just don't want you hurt."

"Okay. I don't want you hurt either." I hugged him and pulled back. "That's what friends are for, to protect each other right?"

He nodded, but leaned closer to me instead of pulling back. "Yes, but that's true for people who are more than friends too." Then he put his arms around my waist and kissed me hard.

"Okay, team, pick your region." Jeremy's voice sounded over the speaker. Ulrich and I broke away, bashfully remembering what we were supposed to be doing.

"Yeah, love birds, pick your region," Odd sneered. "You can make out later." Ulrich hugged me one last time and then went over to stand in front of his scanner, but not without giving Odd a good punch in the arm first.

"Yumi, you pick first, since you'll be going it alone."

I nodded and smiled. "Polar."

Odd swore behind me and I glanced back at him. "You stole mine. I love sliding around in those ice tunnels."

"Well it just so happens, Odd, that I do too."

"Ulrich you next. You'll be going it alone as well."

"Desert."

I glanced at him sharply. "Don't you mean forest?"

He looked back at me smugly. "No, why?"

"Because the desert is the most dangerous region and it's so open and there's crabs and..."

Ulrich shook his head and it shushed me. "I'm a warrior too, remember?"

"Odd, you'll be going to the forest. Aelita will be waiting."

The doors to our scanners opened and I stepped in and turned around. The doors slid closed.

"Transfer Yumi...transfer Ulrich...transfer Odd...scanner Yumi...scanner Ulrich...scanner Odd...virtualization."

* * *

I gazed at my bleak white surroundings, still keeping in my crouch. I had landed on a snow-covered pathway that had big ice pieces breaking off of it on both sides. I stood up straight and watched the slow moving virtual water. 

"All right gang?"

"Fine and dandy." That was definitely Odd.

"Good to go. What about you Yumi?" I smiled. That had to be Ulrich. I could recognize his voice anywhere, even if I couldn't see him.

"I'm great," I assured them. "Now lets start searching."

I picked to go to my left and started running down the long pathway. My footsteps made a crunching sound on the snow as I followed the pulsations. It seemed to get stronger in the direction I was going so I followed it the best I could. I was already breathing hard by the time the pathway opened out onto a snowy plain. I glanced down at the pulsations briefly to know where to run and started again.

"I'm afraid the welcome committee has come for you, Yumi," Jeremy said urgently. "Three hornets are coming to say hello. They are coming from your right."

I nodded and snapped out my newly mended fan. "Thanks Jeremy. I'll be sure to say hi to them for you." I kept running but kept my eyes and ears alert. Soon enough, three hornets had buzzed around a mountainous white peak and were coming towards me, their ends starting to glow.

"Be careful, Yumi," Ulrich said as I skipped away from the first few shots.

"Don't worry," I panted. "You're the one that's trying to play hero."

"Yumi's right, Ulrich, its your time to shine. Two crabs are dropping by."

"Thanks Jeremy," Ulrich stated.

I skipped away from a second set of shots and as soon as they finished I turned around and gave them a bit of their own medicine. "Up, up!" I shouted and my fan whipped up at an angle to hit one hornet squarely in its Xana symbol. It exploded as I caught my fan again.

Suddenly I tripped and was sent tumbling down a snow bank. My screams were muffled as snow got in my mouth. I was tumbling head over heels until I finally landed with an, "Oof!" on the flat snow plain again. I shook my head clear of all the snow and saw the hornets circle back around and dip down to attack me again. I flicked my fan at them again, but this time the hornets dodged. I started running away from them, looking over my shoulder every once and a while for my fan. It came back, a whirring blade of death and sliced an unknowing hornet from the back. It exploded as I caught my fan.

But the last hornet had already reared up to attack and got two shots at me in the stomach before it circled around to try to hit me again. I stumbled and caught myself before I fell over.

"Careful Yumi. That was ten life points altogether that you lost."

I threw my fan up at the last monster. "That's plenty left, Jeremy. Thanks for the update." The hornet exploded.

I caught my fan with a little bow. Then I straightened and found the pulsation track again. I started running after it again. It led me across the snow plain to my right and I soon found myself running up a slant that brought me to a flat top of a mountain. I could see the pathway I had started off on all the way up here.

The ground rumbled beneath me. The pulsations were strongest here. I looked ahead and gasped to see a human boy.

"Why hello again."

I didn't reply to the greeting that obviously was meant to be friendly. I just gaped as the black haired boy I had seen in Lyoko last time smiled at me. I couldn't help thinking that he looked nice when he smiled. Then I reprimanded myself mentally. What am I thinking?

"Since we are seeing each other so much, might as well tell you my name." He gave me a little bow. "My name is Xavier. And you are Yumi, correct?"

I ignored the question. "Haven't I seen you somewhere?" I queried instead.

He frowned. "Yes. I fought you last time you were in Lyoko."

I nodded. "Yes, yes, I know. But did I see you anytime on earth? In real life?"

Xavier looked thoughtful. "Not that I can remember." Then he gazed at me. "Oh well." He swished out his sword from his scabbard. "Ready for our rematch?"

I took an involuntary step back. "Rematch? What rematch?"

"The rematch in which I will win and show you that I am the best after all." He smiled again, this time with a more evil quality. I took another step back. Suddenly the ground gave way beneath me in a shower of snow. For one horrifying second, I thought Jerry had found a way to WOOHP me from Lyoko as well, but then I was sent zooming at high speeds into an ice tunnel and I knew I had just stumbled on one of the surprises Lyoko always had to offer.

I sped along, able to regain my footing once again. I slid as if I was on ice skates and looked over my shoulder once to see if Xavier was following me. I couldn't see him through the many bends, twists, and turns, but I had a feeling that he wouldn't give up on his long awaited rematch that easily.

I focused ahead again and actually felt like I was having fun. I whooped out loud and spread out my arms to keep my balance as I flew through the ice tunnel. Suddenly, light from the outside world blinded me. In an instant, I had flown out of the end of the ice tunnel. I flew up in the air for a bit, and then I started falling down at an alarming rate. I screamed as I saw water underneath me. Then I closed my eyes and plunged into the icy liquid.

After a while, I realized I hadn't been de-virtualized yet. I quickly kicked myself up to the surface and took a gasping breath of air. Then I swam myself over to one of the ice plates that break off from the main pathway and crawled onto it. A moment later, I saw another speeding object hit the water, sending a huge splash into the air. The wave hit me so that I almost fell off of the ice plate I was clutching, my body shivering from the freezing virtual water. It felt quite real.

Suddenly, Xavier burst out of the water onto the ice plate next to mine. I gave a squeal and started leaping from ice plate to ice plate, trying to run away. Xavier, however, gave chase. Soon I realized that I was going to have to fight him, so I leapt across to land on the main pathway. I turned to face him, some water droplets falling to the snowy ground below me. Xavier followed me and pointed his sword at me. Without another word, he charged.

I sidestepped easily, snapping out my own fan in the process. He turned like a whirlwind and struck out at me again. I blocked with my metal fan, making clinking noises (Jeremy must have made my fan stronger). Finally I saw my opening when he lunged at me. I rushed at him too, much to his surprise, and jumped up by placing my feet on his outstretched arm. Then I placed my hands on his shoulders and flipped over him. While coming back around, I threw my fan straight into his back. He stumbled forward and I landed in a crouch behind him. He whirled on his heels again, his eyes flaring in anger.

"You'll need more to kill me," he whispered.

"I have more," I said resolutely.

He narrowed his eyes hatefully. His sword glinted evilly. I narrowed my own eyes. _I want to cut it in half..._

Finally he leapt forward and stabbed at me. I spun around so that I was sitting on the pathway, my legs bent; his sword narrowly missed cutting the ends of my hair. Then I threw my fan directly upward with all the force I could muster. His sword snapped from the impact and my fan went flying wildly into the air. As the broken sword blade fell to the ground, I swiveled back up and used my momentum to give him a roundhouse kick. It hit him in the stomach and sent him flying back. I recovered my fan in a sweeping catch. Then as he slowly picked himself back up and I jumped up into the air.

"And now for the grand finale!" I yelled and pitched my fan forward. It hit him in the chest and while flying back, he de-virtualized. All pulsations in my region stopped when he disappeared.

"Yeah! Great job Yumi! Now head for the nearest tower. You are proceeding to the mountains," Jeremy's happy voice informed me. I nodded.

"I'm on my way."


	12. Tragedy

Author's Note: Thank you so much, old and new reviewers alike. I'm sorry I can't post like the speed of light as I mentioned last chapter, but I'll try my best. Some of my reviewers are really smart and have guessed the major problem in this story. To them, I give you a pat on the back and a round of applause (I think you know who you are). Just don't tell anyone. Ssh! To answer Beverly, Vulcan Princess's question, I don't have a certain pattern with posting; I just post whenever I feel like it and whenever I have time to. I hope I had enough detail for you in this chapter, Warrior Pixie. And to everyone, read and enjoy!

* * *

I flew up gracefully to the next platform and as my feet touched it, the Xana symbol under my feet lit up brightly.

"Why hello there."

Startled, I almost fell back the way I had come. I looked up, expecting the worst but saw Ulrich standing there, grinning at me. I relaxed immediately and smiled. "Howdy." I headed for the tower wall. "How was your rematch?"

Ulrich shook his head in response once we were out of the tower and in the gloomy mountain region. "Interesting. He informed me as if we were chatting over tea that his name was Adam before he attacked me. I barely had time to leap out of the way."

I laughed. "Yours isn't half as interesting as mine. Right after he told me his name, I fell into one of those ice tunnels Odd likes to slide in. I flew out of it to find I was heading straight down into the virtual sea. It was cold for being virtual water! Anyway, I'd say that the guy I fought was out of practice."

I looked around, scanning everything in the vicinity for something unusual. "Hey, Jeremy?" I asked. "Are Odd and Aelita coming?"

"Actually, they should be somewhere right in front of you."

The pathway was empty in front of me.

"Come again?"

"I see them. Up there!" Ulrich exclaimed, pointing. I followed his finger to find myself looking at Odd dodging something. He was up on a high mountain platform and I watched as his nimble figure danced away from the edge of the platform. I noticed with unease that it was a sheer drop down. I also noticed that we were quite a bit away.

"Let's go," I breathed and started forward. I kept my eyes on the platform but I did see that the pathway wound around quite a bit. It didn't lead directly to the platform. It wound this way and that, creating holes in which one could drop into if one wasn't careful.

I was so concentrated on the spot where I had last saw Odd that when Ulrich cried out a warning it was already too late. "Yumi! Watch out!" I turned to face him (he was running a bit behind me), puzzled when blocks that were coming directly toward me intercepted my gaze. One shot and hit me in the leg before I could do anything. Ulrich's figure suddenly blocked my view of them when he jumped in front of me while I recovered.

I reached down and felt my knee to make sure I was okay. I suddenly felt very tired. I knew it was because of the physical demands I was making my body meet without proper rest. I rubbed it and straightened up, nevertheless. When I looked up I found myself staring straight at another block. I backed up and bumped into Ulrich. "We have a problem," he stated when he looked over behind him.

I chose that moment to look back at the platform. "Make that two!" I screamed. "ODD!"

Odd was tottering precariously at the edge of the platform. Suddenly, a laser was shot at him and it hit him squarely in the chest. I heard someone else's scream pierce the air as he lost his balance and fell off the platform. I recognized the voice as Aelita's but I watched as if in slow motion as Odd tumbled to his demise.

It was a miracle that my brain wasn't working in slow motion though my body was starting to. "Ulrich," I said rapidly. "Give your sword." I watched as Odd extended a hand and tried to claw the platform's flat surface, trying to get himself to stop. He'd done it many times before, using his cat like instincts to save his life. But this time I knew he wouldn't make it.

"Are you insane?" he said, blocking more shots with his sword.

"Give it to me!" I yelled at him. He handed it over reluctantly.

Immediately, I bent a bit at my knees and threw Ulrich's sword blade first at the rock wall that Odd was trying to slide to a stop on. The sword glinted in the sunlight and then buried itself a little more than halfway up the blade in the rock. I bit my lip as I watched Odd rapidly draw nearer to the sword protruding from the wall.

"Grab it. Please grab it."

A second later, he did. Odd's hand stumbled over the sword but he grabbed it immediately. Ulrich flinched beside me when his sword bent a little from the weight. But it held. I saw Odd look up at his savior in wonder.

Ulrich suddenly yelled into my ear. "What now, wonder woman?"

I glanced around and realized we were caught in between one block on one side and about five on the other. I spied the flat platforms they made. My lips curled slowly into a smile. "Let's play some hopscotch."

I jumped onto the nearest block. It swiveled around in confusion. I watched as the block on the other side took aim and fired at me. I sprang onto the next nearest block as the block I had been standing on exploded from the shot. Ulrich caught on and jumped onto the nearest block to him. Soon we leapt our way like frogs over all the blocks and when we landed back on the ground, the only block left standing was the one that had been doing all the dirty work for us. I snapped out my fan and sliced through the block. I caught my fan again and started running forward as the last block exploded.

"That was pretty neat," Ulrich commented as we started running towards Odd.

I winked at him. "Thank you."

As we neared Odd, Ulrich said, "You go for Aelita and I'll give Odd a hand."

"Right," I said as I sprinted away.

"Ulrich, thanks for saving me," I heard Odd gasp breathlessly.

"Don't thank me. Yumi was the one that came up with the idea."

I smiled inwardly and pushed on. I felt myself tiring, something I had never felt in Lyoko before. I set my face and raced on.

As I rounded the bend of the rectangular platform I saw stairs that led up to it. I took them two at a time as I heard Aelita scream again. "I'm coming!" I yelled out, huffing and puffing as I finally leapt up onto the flat surface.

Aelita was dodging frantically as four blocks shot at her. They were in a semicircle around a blonde haired boy who was standing behind them, not even blinking an eye at what was happening before him. I finally got his attention when my fan noisily smashed into a block.

I ran up in front of Aelita and blocked the shots the best I could with my fan. I suddenly felt fear as I realized that my strength was draining away and if I was forced to battle another one of these mysterious boys I would not succeed._ Ulrich, you better hurry up..._

I took advantage of another lull in the shooting to explode another block. The blonde haired boy was regarding me seriously now, as if just realizing that this wasn't just a simple harmless game. He slowly unsheathed his sword. Aelita and I ran to the left to avoid being shot by monsters.

"Laser arrow!"

"Impact!"

Ulrich and Odd sprang out of nowhere. I watched them demolish the last two blocks. The blonde haired boy took that moment to lunge at me.

I barely managed to spring away in time. Aelita backed up and started to sway unsteadily on the edge of the platform.

I countered by letting my fan fly. It hit him in the stomach and sent him stumbling back a bit.

"AHHH!!!"

I turned to see Aelita topple off the platform.

"NO!" I screeched and threw myself on my stomach. I stretched out a hand and caught one of hers. She hung there, breathing hard, glancing down fearfully with me as her only lifeline.

My fan zipped over me. I hadn't caught it. It flew around in a wide arc.

I could feel Aelita slipping. I gritted my teeth and focused all my energy into keeping her from falling.

My energy was slipping away as well.

Suddenly I heard movement. I looked to my right to see the blonde haired boy with his sword raise, poised to strike me. It came down.

I used the last of my will to roll away from the deadly incoming blade. Aelita's hand slipped.

"AHHHH!!!!"

"AELITA!" everyone screamed at the same time. I watched in horror as her pink form fell away into the misty depths.

"Impact!" Ulrich screamed and stabbed the blonde haired boy from the back. He opened his mouth in a silent scream and de-virtualized. I barely even notice it happen. My exhausted mind replayed the scene of Aelita falling into the void over and over again, as if it was on a tape loop. I slumped on my knees and bent over to look over the edge again.

She was gone.

And it was all my fault.

Odd and Ulrich ran to the edge as well to see if there was any sign of her.

There wasn't.

I burst into tears as my loyal fan slid gently onto the ground next to me. I wanted to chuck it down after Aelita. It didn't deserve an owner like me. A failure.

Without another word, I picked it up, snapped it shut and turned on my heel to run. I flew down the platform steps, my tears running off my face with my speed. I nearly tripped every two steps but I stumbled blindly on. I was almost at the last at step when strong arms caught me around the waist, making me stop abruptly. I fought it but they restrained me and I finally crumpled into a ball.

I found it was Ulrich that was cradling me as I cried. He held me close to him as I cried on his shoulder. Odd came and joined us, wrapping his arms around me reassuringly. _Why do they still like me? They shouldn't! They shouldn't!_

My mind exploded into a furious rage. I broke free off them in one forceful movement and I stepped off the stairs.

"I-I can't do this anymore!" I wailed. "I can't take this! I-I can't."

Ulrich stood up calmly. "What are you talking about?"

I turned away from him and Odd and hugged myself. "Why is it always me?" I whispered to myself.

I made myself stop crying so loudly after a while and waited a while before I turned to face them. "I can't do this anymore," I said quietly. "I'm quitting. I'm not ever coming back to Lyoko."

"What?"

"No, Yumi you can't."

I nodded. "Yes I can. And I'm sure that Jeremy will be very happy if I do."

There was silence as the three of us waited to see if Jeremy would respond. But there was only silence from his end. I walked up to the edge of the pathway and looked down.

"Goodbye Lyoko..."

I spread out my arms and dove downward.


	13. Discovery

Author's Note: YAY! Oh my god, I love you all so so so so so so much! I got over hundred reviews!!!! (does a happy dance) THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I would like to thank so many people! But I'll do that in the last chapter, like I did with my last story. Speaking of which, this story is reaching its climax which means its almost done! (cries) But do not worry! I already have thought of yet another plot for yet another Code Lyoko story! And, as I am hoping right now it will be good, I will try as soon as I can to get it in writing. I have a lot of homework to do, though, so don't be expecting anything spectular. I'm going to try to get in A LOT of writing for me and for school this weekend, so wish me luck, you wonderful, fabulous, glamorous (and so on and so forth) people!  
Artemis of the Ice! What a surprise! Thank you so much for reviewing! Um, CodeLyokoFan4Ever, does you computer spaz out or something because your reivew showed up on my reivew page seven times and I'm pretty sure you can't review the same chapter more than once, so...look into that. It made me speed up with the writing though, so thanks for the heads up! A lot of people thought I was being evil (in a joking manner), but you guys make me feel like I'm actually a good writer that can bring out real emotion, so thanks! Speaking of emotion, I can't believe you almost cried, Gypsee Girl! And thank you Beverly, Vulcan Princess for being so dedicated! (I hope your sister's okay!) Mornstar, you are way too smart. But read, read, read and give me my cookie! And a thousand thanks to anyone I did not mention but still reviewed. You are always treasured in my heart (sounded sappy, but its true). So now, your task is...to read and enjoy!

* * *

My virtualization pod opened up. I pushed myself out of it quickly and started for the elevator. I rubbed my cheek and was surprised to find that it was damp. The elevator door closed just as Ulrich and Odd's virtualization pods opened up. 

New tears started forming. I brushed at them impatiently and rode to the top floor, not even bothering to stop by to say something to Jeremy.

As soon as the elevator opened again, I ran outside and ran to the manhole. Without hesitation I jumped down it and landed in my customary crouch. Then I grabbed my skateboard and gave my self a running start.

As I rolled through the sewers, I heard someone else following me. Hurriedly I pushed harder to make myself go faster.

I was climbing up the ladder when my follower caught up with me.

"Yumi, you can't just leave."

I stopped halfway up and turned to face Ulrich. "I have to. I wouldn't ever be accepted."

"You don't know that until you actually talk to Jeremy."

I started climbing again. "Don't worry. I know."

When I climbed out, it was dusk and getting darker. I realized that we had been in the factory a long time. I sighed. _Just as well, as it would be my last time._

I ran through the forest, leaping over small plants and obstacles I knew were there even in the dim light. Then I started for the building of dorms. I just wanted to be alone.

When I reached my room, I flung open the door wide once unlocked and flung myself onto my bed. I forced myself not to cry but I lay curled up in a ball.

Suddenly, I remembered WOOHP. I hated that organization very much. It was the cause of all of my pain, my sorrow. I looked across the room and saw my blue pack with the flower on it. I narrowed my eyes at it hatefully and grabbed it. Then I headed out the door again, intending to throw it in the nearest dumpster.

Ulrich was coming down the hall at the exact same moment. He saw me and opened his mouth to say something, but suddenly the floor underneath me opened up. I screamed as I started to fall in but then I was jerked up. Ulrich had grabbed my hand and was trying to pull me up.

"No, Ulrich, let go. Let go now!" I commanded.

He shook his head, determined.

"No, I'm serious! Let go!"

Suddenly a huge gust of sucking wind ripped me from him and carried me into the tunnel. To my horror and surprise, Ulrich had tumbled in also and was sliding along right beside me. The opening underneath me opened, as usual, and I dropped onto the pink couch. Ulrich dropped down on top of me a moment later.

"Ouch!"

"Sorry."

I straightened up and rubbed my head. "Jerry?"

"Who else? AH!" he said, astonished. "Who's that?" he pointed at Ulrich.

_Great, just great._

"He's...uh...a friend. See Jer, you didn't WOOHP me at exactly the right time..."

"I'm her boyfriend trying to keep her from committing suicide." I gaped at him.

"I wasn't going to do that!"

He snorted. "Well it seemed like it."

I turned back to Jerry. "Please don't turn him into a vegetable."

Ulrich looked at me blankly. "I beg your pardon?"

Jerry shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid I might have to do just that." He snapped his fingers. Two strong looking agents came immediately into the office. Jerry pointed at a bewildered Ulrich. I scrambled up to stand in front of him.

"No, Jerry, no! You are not frying his brain!" I said angrily.

Jerry sighed. "Yumi, please be reasonable! You have a mission to go on."

"Well then where's my team?" I demanded.

Jerry slapped a hand to his forehead. "They're already on the case."

"Oh," I said dumbly. The two burly agents stepped forward. I regained my guard. "No! You turn him into a vegetable and you'll have to turn me into a vegetable." After a while I looked pleadingly at Jerry. "Please, can't we work something out?" I said in a small voice.

"Unfortunately that isn't possible," Jerry said. He snapped his fingers again and his agents started advancing. "Even if it means that you have to lose your memory as well, Yumi."

I stared at him with round eyes. "Jerry! What happened to you? Where's the Jerry I know and love? You know I'm one of your best agents! You know it! How can you afford to erase my memory? Say it! Say it! I'm your best agent!" The first agent had already reached down and picked me up with my arms pinned to my sides. I struggled futilely. "Get your hands off me, thickhead!"

"All right. I'll say it. You're my best agent."

I turned in shock. That wasn't Jerry's voice. It was...

"Xavier?"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You know, I think I'm going to be merciful and not turn you all into vegetables by zapping your memories. Now that you know who I am, I'll have to simply kill you. I would trap Yumi and Ulrich in Lyoko and shut down Lyoko but I thought that since you were so insistent, I would kill you along with you pesky spies."

Xavier had an evil grin on his face as he watched us struggle in our thick bonds. We were on a tiny little metal platform that was programmed to go up and down as the controller pleased. There was a little rectangular pool of water below us. I was at the very front with Alex to one side and Ulrich to another. Sam, Alex, Clover were all in their spy suits as they thought they were on a real mission.

"You are so not going to get away with this!" Sam screeched at Xavier. Xavier just sneered.

"Really. I suppose you'll try and stop me. Well, you'll have to stop yourself from drowning first. And by the way, if you really insist on knowing what's happened to Jerry, I'll tell you. I have him geared up to transfer all his knowledge of WOOHP to yours truly and when I have all of it, I'll dispose of him and use WOOHP to take over the world with my brothers in tow, of course."

"Brothers?" Clover asked contemptuously.

Suddenly, a blonde haired boy, a red haired boy, and a brown haired boy stepped through the sliding doors to the room we were being executed in. They all bore smug smiles on their faces. Ulrich and I gaped at them. "But your..."

They all sneered even more. "Yes, we fought you in Lyoko so now we know exactly how strong each of you are. It was just part of our plans to gather information. My brothers, Adam, Andrew, and Nathaniel are much more competent fighters than all of you put together, so don't get any ideas. And," he gazed directly at me, "consider our rematch won. The victor is me."

I snarled. "Yes, you win by cheating!"

Xavier looked around the room thoughtfully. "I wouldn't call it cheating, my dear. I would call it, using advantages to my advantage. Now, have fun swimming!" He pressed the button he had on his controller and laughed as he walked out of the room. His brothers followed in an orderly manner.

"Uh! What pests!" Clover screamed, futilely trying to release herself from her bonds as the platform started to descend. The bonds were a thick rope that bound all of us together and to the slender pole in the middle of the metal platform.

"What's Lyoko?" Alex asked me.

"Uh..." I glanced at Ulrich nervously. He shook his head. "I'll tell you later," I mended quickly. "Right now let's see if we can get out of this mess. Anyone have their gadgets?"

Sam, Alex, and Clover shook their heads as one. "We didn't have time to grab our packs and that creep in the Jerry mask didn't give us any new gadgets for our phony mission. We should have suspected something," Sam explained.

"Don't worry about it," I said quickly. "Alex, do me a favor and see if you can reach my pocket."

Alex strained in her bonds and shifted a bit. "I think I can."

I nodded. "Good. Reach in my pocket and see if you can find my laser lipstick. I might have stuck it in there cause I didn't have anywhere else to put it."

Ulrich raised an eyebrow. "Laser lipstick?"

I sighed. "Well, if we're spies, you don't expect us not to have gadgets do you?" He shrugged.

"I found it!" Alex exclaimed.

"Good. Now try and put it in my hand," I instructed. Alex complied and soon I was clutching the little tube tightly. I felt along it carefully and turned it so that I could direct it to the thick rope that was binding my hands. Then I switched it on. In a few seconds my hands were free. I bent to cut my feet free and the swung around to cut Ulrich's bonds. After his, I cut Alex's and passed her the laser lipstick. Then Ulrich and I jumped free from the platform that was steadily lowering itself down into the pool of water beneath it.

I ran over to grab my pack with all my gadgets in it as Alex, Sam, and Clover jumped away from the metal platform. The platform had just started going underwater.

"So, all this time, you were disappearing because you were a spy going on missions?" Ulrich asked incredulously.

I nodded wistfully. "So now you know. I told you I had a good reason." I looked at everyone and took a deep breath. "Let's go take down the dream team."


	14. Triumph with a Catch

Author's Note: Actually, I lied. Lucky for you guys, I changed it. This story kinda now has two climaxes (sp?) and the story is going to be going for a while, but not for much! Meanwhile, the new story idea is developing, and developing...  
I must say sorry to ulrichxyumi4eva because I think you will be a little disappointed when everything falls into place. About the location thing, Warrior Pixie, I had sleepness nights over that too. That's the problem about writing crossovers!!! Anyway, I just decided to screw it and go with it. It makes the story flow better without all the logical explainations added in, no? Beverly, Vulcan Princess, thank you for that little detour into your little creative mind. And mornstar, Xana probably had ways...(ooo...mysterious!) and yeah, that's the best answer I can come up with. Sorry! I'm glad you like mysteries and stories like mine though, because these stories I specialize in (winks). A shrine? I say, go for it! Thanks so much for everyone's input! Like I said, don't feel left out as I will mention you in the last chapter. All right then, read and enjoy...

* * *

We burst into the WOOHP laboratory right when they were about to start the procedure of extracting knowledge from Jerry's brain. I saw my WOOHP guardian unconscious on the lab table, looking frail and more like his old age. Infuriated, I screamed, "The show's not over yet, scum!"

Immediately, Xavier sat up from the table he was lying on that was next to Jerry's and took off a metal headband that was connected by a cord to a similar one worn by Jerry. Two of the brothers who were at the controls looked up, alert and ready to act. I didn't see the last brother anywhere.

"Get Jerry!" Sam commanded at once. The three spies hurled themselves at where Jerry was. Clover and Alex tried to tackle over Xavier, but he was too quick for them and dodged out of the way, sending them tumbling over the lab table he had just been lying on. Clover crashed into Sam, knocking her over in a shout of anger.

I darted for the two brothers at the controls at the same time, with Ulrich right behind me. I caught the first by surprise, as I crept up on him when he was watching the commotion Alex, Sam, and Clover were causing. I jumped up and kicked him in the back, sending him flying forward. Ulrich's attempt at an attack was foiled when the other brother at the controls had anticipated what he wanted to do. Ulrich was grabbed by the front of his shirt and was just about to be pounded senseless when the brother I had kicked toppled into the brother holding him. They smashed into the wall in a sprawling heap. Ulrich picked himself up shakily.

"Nice move," he said, smiling.

I winked. "You taught me."

"He's getting away!" Clover suddenly screamed. I saw her pointing and followed her gaze to find Xavier just running out the door with Jerry's body slung over his shoulder like a rag doll. Immediately, Ulrich and I gave chase as the spies worked on getting themselves untangled.

There were stairs immediately after the door opened up. I took them two at a time, making sure I never lost sight of Xavier in front of me. The stairs wound around and around until finally Xavier kicked open a door and burst into the top of the WOOHP headquarters building. I followed a moment later, huffing and puffing. "Remind me next time," I said between bouts of heavy breathing, "to take the elevator."

Ulrich groaned and clutched his side. "Agreed."

Nevertheless I pushed on after Xavier. I noticed he was running for a WOOHP jet that was waiting with the last brother as pilot. That's what he had gone to do. I pushed on faster, not wanting to experience getting whipped around by an airplane again, but clipped on my bungee belt all the same.

It turned out that I was too late to stop Xavier and his crew on land. He flung himself into the jet at the last minute and the stairway leading up to the entrance closed up immediately. I reacted just as fast, whipping out my bungee belt and attaching it to the side of the jet.

To my surprise, three other bungee belts flew to attach onto the plane also. I looked back to see Alex, Sam, and Clover running toward me. "We found them in a closet in the lab," Clover said as soon as she was close enough so I could hear her. She tossed one to Ulrich, who clipped it on and attached it to the side of the plane as well.

He stepped beside me. "So this is routine for a spy? Getting thrown for a ride on a plane."

I smiled in spite of myself. "Always."

The plane took off and we went flying. All of us were screaming as we were flung this way and that, the wind a biting presence that was always there. I gritted my teeth and forced myself to pull myself up. My hands barely complied but I managed to get one over the other while activating the bungee belt to pull me in as an extra push. The rest soon got the idea and tried doing the same.

Once we were close enough to reach out and touch the side of the plane, Sam took out my laser lipstick and cut a hole in the wall. She pulled herself in first and the stretched out a hand to help me. I grabbed her hand and unhooked by bungee belt. I tumbled inside while she reached out again to pull Alex in. I regained my feet and help Ulrich inside.

Once we were all in, we looked around and realized that we were in the storage area of the jet. Unfortunately, it was dark in the room and we couldn't search for any useful gadgets so we filed out silently, the three spies first.

I hadn't even made it out of the storage room when there was pandemonium outside. To my surprise, three voices yelled, "Triplicate!" and the spies screamed. On accident, Alex pushed against the door, shutting us from them.

"Alex, open up! Get out of the way of the door!" I screamed, trying to push my way through. Ulrich flung himself against the door like an untamed bull but Alex's stunned body solidly blocked the door.

I cried out in frustration and pounded on the door to no avail. The sounds of a battle started outside. I heard swords unsheathing and screams of pain. Then I heard the buzzing of a laser lipstick. "To the roof!" I heard Sammy command and then I heard the scrambling of many pairs of feet, way more than three.

"Did you hear that?" Ulrich asked me in a shushed voice. "Right before the door closed?"

I nodded grimly and slumped against the door. "Let's wait here until it cools down a bit down there. Who knows how many of the clones stayed behind to guard the interior of the plane?"

I felt Ulrich do the same as his shoulder touched mine. "How could they use Lyoko attacks here?"

I racked my brain. Something here didn't make sense. First of all, how did they know about Lyoko in the first place? Then, how did they get there? I found no answers for those questions. Then, when they de-virtualized, they went to try and steal an artificial intelligence chip. That made sense. They could use the chip to create an army of highly dangerous robots to help them take over the world. But then why did they go back to Lyoko? And why did they make pulsations there when they did? I racked my brain thoroughly but could not come up with adequate answers.

Ulrich was silent as I did my thinking, but suddenly he said something that gave me a thud of realization. "What if this is Xana's doing?"

I froze. Could this one sinister name be all the answer to my all my questions?

"They don't seem to be working for him, though. They seem to me like any other perfectly insane villain with another far-flung idea on how to take over the world. They just happen to have access to Lyoko somehow."

Ulrich shifted slightly. "Exactly. And that's what's bothering me. How can they go to Lyoko? And why to they create pulsations there every time they do?"

_Xana...Xana..._

The name had been echoing over and over in my mind. I was thinking about it as if I was just being introduced to the despicable thing. Suddenly my mind clicked.

"Ulrich, do you know how to spell Xana?"

"Its probably X-A-N-A but I don't know why you would want to know. Its not like any spelling bee will have that word on its roster anytime soon."

"Hmm..." I thought hard. _X-A-N-A..._

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"OH MY GOD!" I suddenly screeched. "Xavier, Adam, Nathaniel, Andrew. X-A-N-A. Xana!"

The door suddenly burst open, blasting us with the new light that met our eyes. One brother stood in the doorway, silhouetted by the bright light.

"G-O-O-D J-O-B."

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I backed up hurriedly as the brother advanced in the doorway. There was a glint of metal and I realized that the brother had drawn his sword. _Great, now what?_

I plunged my hand into my pack and rummaged through it while continuing to back up. I receded into the nearby shadows with Ulrich right beside me, trying to gain some cover. Unfortunately, the boy found us and struck out with his sword.

Luckily, I had found my Ice Queen perfume at the exact same moment. Ulrich and I leapt out of the way, but I turned back around to spray the brother's sword with my perfume. It froze instantly. In one kick, I shattered it into millions of ice crystals. The brother staggered back.

Ulrich suddenly leapt on him from behind, toppling them over. As they struggled, the plane tipped suddenly and we started sliding to our right. I noticed that Ulrich and the brother were getting closer and closer to the hole Sam had created for our entry. Frantically, I lunged forward and grabbed Ulrich firmly as he let go of the brother. The brother slid out the hole and disappeared into the sky.

Ulrich and I crawled back to the door, grabbing onto anything that would pull us up. Suddenly the plane tipped the other way and it sent us crashing into the opposite wall.

I growled as I pushed a few boxes out of my face. "The pilot can warn me the next time he does that!"

We crept out into a small hallway. I moved forward stealthy until I reached the pilot's area. I spied Xavier steering the ship. In a minute I had pounced on him, knocking him out of the drivers seat. The plane swerved dangerously. I heard Sam, Alex, and Clover screaming loudly on the roof of the plane.

I flipped back on my feet again and turned to face Xavier.

"Apparently our rematch isn't finished," I stated.

"It is now," Xavier snarled and leapt on me, knocking me backward onto the ground. I gritted my teeth and struggled against him. Meanwhile, Ulrich was getting thrown in every direction because the plane had no driver.

Xavier pulled out a knife and placed it to my throat. "I'll make sure I win fair and square this time," he breathed in my face. I felt the cold metal of the knife and knew it was now or never.

I shifted my feet quickly and in one fluid motion, kicked him in the stomach from below, pushing myself up in the process and catching his knife that flew out of his hand. The last I saw of Xavier was a look of surprise as he crashed into the window, shattering it and sending him flying away into the sky after his brother. I put the knife down and quickly jumped into the driver's seat, pulling at the controls.

"How do I control this thing?" I screamed helplessly.

"Here, let me try," said a voice to my left. I looked to see Clover smiling at me. I immediately let her in the pilot's seat and she expertly guided the plane into a smooth cruise.

I turned to face the two other spies. "Let's search the plane for Jerry."

I was just about to follow them when Ulrich grabbed my hand. When I turned, he had a worried look on his face. "Odd isn't answering his cell phone. Neither is Jeremy." I looked at him stunned. He continued. "What do you think they meant when they said they were going to destroy us when we were in Lyoko?"

"Clover," I said immediately, "mind making a quick stop for me and Ulrich first?"


	15. Rescue ::Part One::

Author's Note: Amen to the weekend. I've decided to be nice and post faster. But this will only last on weekends, I can assure you. Anyway, here is your eagerly awaited next chapter! Mornstar, the brothers can use Lyoko powers in real life, if you missed that part (in regards to your "triplicate" question). Can't wait to see blueprints! Glad I cleared things up for you, Warrior Pixie. Beverly, Vulcan Princess, again thank you for a detour into your mind. And to ulrichxyumi4eva, I have to say, yes you are right. So enjoy it now! Thank you so much for the reviews, y'all! Enjoy!

* * *

"What if they're not here? What if this is a trap?" Ulrich hissed into my ear.

I glared at him. "You were the one who thought of the idea. You answer those questions." Suddenly I remembered the nano-technology eye shadow. I took it out and rubbed some on. "Actually maybe I can answer some of your questions." I blinked three times, remembering Clover teaching me how to use it. X-ray glasses suddenly appeared on my eyes. I gazed through them with a frown, scanning the factory. "There's isn't anyone in there at all. Not even Jeremy or Odd."

"What?" Ulrich asked, himself looking at the factory as if he could see through the walls as well. "Then either I was wrong, or..." Ulrich stopped himself. I blinked again, making the x-ray glasses disappear and looked at him expectantly. He gulped. "I just had the worst possible idea."

"Let's go take a look at the factory. Tell me on the way in."

We started across the bridge and jumped on our ropes to slide down to the elevator. "What if those Xana cronies were planning to trap all of us in Lyoko and then, once all of us were in Lyoko, he would pull the plug on it?" I gasped.

"That would explain what Xavier meant, but that doesn't explain where Odd and Jeremy are."

Ulrich shook his head. "Yes it does. Odd is probably trapped in Lyoko right now. Jeremy is also probably trapped in Lyoko. Hopefully they didn't have time to shut it down yet."

"Hopefully," I muttered unhappily, realizing that if this were true, we would have to take action to get them back but that involved going to Lyoko again. "But...Jeremy would never go to Lyoko."

Ulrich raised an eyebrow. "Not voluntarily."

We reached the level where Jeremy would usually sit, manning the controls and scanning Lyoko's virtual landscape for any dangers or threats. We ran inside to find the floor deserted but the computer on. I ran over to it and sat in the swivel chair where Jeremy would usually sit. I remembered what had happened last time I was in Lyoko. I cringed with the pang of pain it brought me. But I forgot about it almost completely when I turned to look at the computer screen.

"Oh my god, they are in Lyoko," I gasped as I saw Odd's card and Jeremy's newly formed card on one of the side screens of the computer. They seemed fine and their life points were also fine but when I clicked on the window that showed me Lyoko's landscape, I couldn't find them anywhere. I placed my hands on my head and shook it. "No, no, no! I can't handle this, I can't! I can't go back to Lyoko and I can't do anything to help. I'm a klutz and I've lost it. No"

Ulrich grabbed my hands urgently. "You fought Xana today. All four parts of Xana and you were awesome. You can do this Yumi, you can! I trust you, I have faith in you."

I tried pulling my hands back. "Easy for you to say. You didn't kill Aelita."

An uncomfortable silence hung in the air as I stated plainly what happened last time I was in Lyoko. Ulrich's grip lessened on my wrists and I pulled them back hurriedly, placing them in my lap. I gazed impassively at the screen and watched the blank Lyoko landscape. Then I leaned forward and grabbed the communicator, tucking it behind my ear. "Get to the scanners. I'm sending you to Lyoko."

"Yes!" Ulrich said, running for the elevator. Then he stopped to look at me as the door slid open. "Aren't you coming? It will be hard to find them alone you know."

I sighed and shut my eyes. "I'll come later. You go first." I heard the elevator doors slide shut again and waited a couple of minutes before tentatively starting the virtualization program. My fingers trembled as I typed in the keys. I had only done this once before successfully and I needed to do it again. "Ready?" I asked into the microphone. "Transfer Ulrich...scanner Ulrich...virtualization."

I watched as he appeared on the Lyoko screen. "Which direction?" came his voice. "I'm in the forest region."

"I dunno!" I said exasperatedly, scanning the nearby area for him to see if any unwanted guests had made an appearance yet. "I don't see any of them anywhere. Just start looking."

A little circle of green that was Ulrich started to move. I watched as he ran around the region for a little while. Then I spotted something else moving. "Oh shoot," I swore, gazing at the screen closely to make sure of what I was seeing. "Ulrich you've got company. Lots of company."

"What? Where?" came his confused voice.

I counted quickly. "Twelve hornets surrounding you. Don't you see them?"

"Wha...AHH!!!"

"Ulrich! Answer me!" I said frantically. "Shit!" I pressed a few keys quickly on the keyboard. "Okay, let's see. Automatic virtualization."

"Yumi? Are you there?"

"Yes Ulrich, are you okay?"

"What do you think? Get over here now!"

"What do you think I'm doing?" I reached down and grabbed Jeremy's book of notes that he always kept near the computer. I flipped to where it was marked "automatic virtualization". I skimmed it briefly and type in what he stated I should. "Okay, I'm coming!" I ran to the scanners.

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I landed in a crouch in the forest region. The ground underfoot was green and mossy and trunks of trees surrounded the area. I heard the shot of lasers being fired faintly in the distance. "Hey, I did it," I whispered to myself in regard to getting me to Lyoko. "Now let's see if I can do this without messing up." I ran in the direction of the noises.

After a minute or two of running, I heard a familiar voice. "Impact!" Then a boom followed as a monster exploded. I ran behind a mound of dirt and peeked over the side. Ulrich was frantically dancing away from a shower of lasers. He was fighting in a slightly circular part of the pathway, with rocks lining the edge, looking almost like benches. He sprang off them occasionally to avoid a monster's shot.

Ulrich jumped gracefully into the middle of the circular area and tried slashing at a buzzing hornet in front of him. I saw one come at him from the back. Right as it was about to shoot, I leapt up on the mound of dirt I had been hiding behind and sent my fan whizzing into it. It exploded into little pitiful pieces. I caught my fan and threw it as soon as it touched my fingers. Another hornet was smashed before it could respond.

"Yah!" Ulrich shouted as he plunged his sword into the Xana symbol of one of the elusive hornets. Then he turned to glance at me. "So glad you made it."

"Me too. I've forgotten already how fun this is," I said while leaping three times away from three hornets' lasers.

"Fun? What fun?" Ulrich asked as his sword absorbed some lasers for him.

"This fun," I said while shearing two of Xana's monsters with one flick of the wrist.

"Oh right," Ulrich said, finally finding an opening and taking advantage of it. With three hornets left, we started running on the pathway again. They shot into the nearby trees, creating holes where the lasers hit the wood. We ran in a zigzag so they would never have time to aim properly. Finally I whipped around once and exploded one of them. The other two flew over me and then one doubled back to try to shoot me again. I slid on my stomach to duck from the shots. The hornet again circled back and tried to hit me again. I jumped up and slashed it across the Xana symbol. It exploded before I hit the ground again.

I got up hurriedly as Ulrich smashed the last hornet unceremoniously with his blade. The monster's fragments sprayed in a little firework as he sheathed his sword. "I'm pretty sure they aren't here."

"And I'm pretty sure you're right," I said, gazing at the calm tower directly in front of us. "I'm thinking its time to get out of this dreadful region."

We both ran for the tower.


	16. Rescue ::Part Two::

Author's Note: Thanks a bunch to everyone that reivewed! I'm updating while I can. I wrote A LOT this morning and I'm happy about it. Mornstar, I'm sorry about the suspense, but that's what I'm good at and that's what's supposed to make you keep reading! OOOO...the shrine sounds pretty...but could you put more sapphires than any other jewel on the obelisk? That would be ver ver nice!!! Ulrichxyumi4eva, I love how you tell me your favorite quote from the chapter! It makes me feel like I'm an author worth quoting! CodeLyoko, you sound like your frantic. Are you okay? No, there is no tower activated. They are using the towers for means of transport from one region to the next like they always do. And yes, Jeremy's in Lyoko. Beverly, Vulcan Princess and to anyone else that's confused: THEY DEFEATED THOSE EVIL XANA FREAKS ALREADY. So they are gone. So they cannot possibly pull the plug. So do you see?  
All right, then. If there are no more questions, let us proceed...

* * *

We appeared slowly into the desert region, every fiber of our virtual being alert. My most dreaded monster, the crab, appeared here very often, making me very wary of the desert. I ran over the flimsy bridge that was created by two logs and scanned the area again, just to be sure I didn't miss some anomaly that could be deadly. The wind stirred the sand at my feet a little, but other than that, everything was silent.

Ulrich's footsteps stopped beside me. "This will take forever!" he complained.

"Then lets start looking," I said resolutely.

I started forward, taking the only path that lead away from the circular area where the tower was situated. The path was pin straight so I could see pretty far forward. What I saw wasn't exactly picture perfect.

The path on which Ulrich and I were running ended abruptly up ahead. I could just make out moving blotches of yellow orange. We had unluckily stumbled upon moving platforms.

"Oh great," Ulrich said, looking uneasily at the first platform that was moving up and down vertically.

"What?" I asked, backing up to get a running start.

"I'm not made for jumping," Ulrich mumbled.

"Well, you better start making yourself for jumping, because you'll be doing an awful lot of it." I suddenly sprinted forward and with a motivating yell, sprang onto the first moving platform when it was level with the pathway. My stomach did an unpleasant somersault when the platform immediately jerked upward. I lost my composed crouch position and steadied myself on all fours. When I felt confident enough, I looked up to judge my next move.

The next platform was one that moved side to side. There were moving platforms situated on both sides of the platform moving side to side, hovering placidly at where the side-to-side platform reached its extent. I bit my lip, memorizing the motion thoroughly in my mind while the platform I was on tried to stop me from doing so. Finally, I shifted into my crouched position again and waited for the moment right before the platform came. Then I unwound and sprang for the platform. I landed on the platform with a thump but it jerked to the right and I rolled toward the side. I was just about to fall off when I extended a hand instinctively and grabbed the edge.

"Yumi!" I heard Ulrich call in worry.

"I'm okay," I said loudly, and then reached up to grab the platform with my other hand. "I think," I whispered to myself. Then I pulled myself up with much difficultly. Breathing out a sigh of relief, I clutched the platform and turned to find Ulrich. He was still on the main pathway, eyeing the first moving platform with an untrustworthy look. I sighed. "Come on, Ulrich. We don't have enough time for you to memorize every crack in that thing. Get moving."

He backed up, just as I had done and sprung for the platform. He landed on it with a wobbly stance and had to bend down to get his balance. He disappeared from view when the platform dipped down and I swung far to my right. I eyed the next platform and jumped when it came closer to me. I landed on this one gracefully. It moved forward and back.

I concentrated on the next one. This one was revolving at an even pace around an invisible center, going around in a circle. It reached to the other end of the solid pathway but one had to jump twice in quick succession. I braced myself and jumped onto the platform that made the circular movement. Then I quickly shifted my position and jumped again. I landed on my feet on the main pathway again. I looked back to see Ulrich jump onto the platform that moved forward and back. He grit his teeth and jumped again onto the next platform. He almost lost his balance but fought to keep it as he jumped again. He landed on his hands and knees at my feet.

"That was interesting," he said, breathing hard.

I smiled. "Don't go jumping around Lyoko much, I see."

He picked himself up. "Not as much as you do."

We continued along the pathway until we reached an odd circular part in the path. There was a little pool of water in the middle of the circular area, also in a perfect circle. I knelt by it and gazed into it to see my reflection stare back at me. "What's this for?" I asked in wonder. I reached down and trailed a finger through it. I expected to feel the coolness of the water swirl all around my finger. Instead I felt...

"Air? This is weird! There isn't any water at all! It's a trick," I said. I spread out my arms and dove through the little pool of fake water. Then I flipped myself around to land on my feet on another pathway parallel to the one we had been on. I looked up to see a huge ball of what looked like fire pulsing up ahead.

Ulrich stepped up next to me to view the odd spectacle. "Shit, I hate these things," he glowered. "Guardians." He stepped forward to take a closer look. I followed close behind. "Looks like this one has Odd trapped."

I stared hard inside the pulsing orange ball and saw Odd's body suspended in the middle of it. "We have to get him out of there," I said. "But how?"

"Use your powers, Yumi. Create a clone of Odd. That way you'll trick the guardian. Meanwhile, I'll use powers of my own." Ulrich slipped out his sword and stepped into his fighter's stance. I turned to find two crabs crawling their way toward us. I cringed as I noticed that beyond the guardian that had Odd trapped in it, there wasn't anything but a freefall downward. We were trapped.

Immediately I concentrated and dropped to my knees, closing my eyes and placing my fingers up to my temples. I focused on what Odd looked like, a virtual Odd. I saw him in my mind's eye immediately and I settled on an image of him shooting a laser arrow. Slowly I strained my mind on only his body and blocked out everything else.

"Yumi, could you hurry it up a bit?" came Ulrich's voice but it was very faint. I scrunched up my face in concentration and slowly conjured up a clone of Odd standing to my right. Then I opened my eyes and backed away from the guardian. The guardian started to jiggle and fidget like it was jello. Then it shifted completely over to the clone of Odd. Quickly, I lunged forward and grabbed the real Odd before the guardian would know otherwise. Slinging Odd over my shoulder, I waited until Ulrich had exploded the last crab. Then I ran to him and put Odd down on the ground.

"Can you wake him?" I asked.

"I think so," Ulrich said.

"Hurry."

Ulrich took Odd's shoulders and shook them hard. Odd's head just rolled around a few times. Ulrich slapped Odd's head and face but Odd wouldn't budge. Ulrich growled in frustration. "Odd, wake up you big loser!" he shouted in Odd's ear. "Uh," Ulrich said disgusted as he rocked back on his heels. "He really isn't any good unless it comes to eating." Suddenly Odd stirred.

"Eating?" he said weakly. "Did someone say eating?"

I laughed. "Yeah, I would say you're right, Ulrich. Odd, are you okay?"

Odd rubbed his head and straightened up slowly. "Yeah, I'm fine. But I am hungry."

Ulrich glanced at Odd with an annoyed expression. "Well save it. We still have to rescue Aelita and Jeremy. They are probably trapped just like you, in a guardian."

"Whoa, Jeremy's here?" Odd asked, standing up with the rest of us.

I nodded. "Involuntarily."

Odd snorted. "Yeah, no kidding. One of those pesky boys trapped us and forced us to Lyoko. As soon as I stepped foot in Lyoko, that lethal guardian just up and pretty much swallowed me whole."

"Those pesky boys turned out to be with Xana," Ulrich said.

"They what?"

I looked at the place where we were in Lyoko. We had literally run ourselves into a dead end. "We can explain later. Right now, all I want to know is how do we get off of this little island?"

"Wha..." Odd suddenly crumbled to his knees, holding his head with both hands.

Ulrich and I immediately bent down to support him. "Odd are you okay?" Ulrich asked worriedly.

A moment later Odd shook his head and stood up again. "Fine, guys. Just had a vision. Apparently to get off of here, you just jump."

"Come again?"

"Like this," Odd said running up to the edge and jumping off.

"Odd!" Ulrich and I yelled at the same time, running to where he had just jumped off. Odd was already gone from view.

"Is he insane?" Ulrich asked nervously.

"Well, I'm going after him," I said and before I could think about it more, I jumped off the side as well.

Mist surrounded me for a while and then suddenly I broke free of all fog and I was speeding toward another pathway. Odd was waving at me from down below, since he was already standing on the pathway. I landed in a crouch and straightened up to see Odd wink at me. "Told ya," he said triumphantly.

Ulrich plopped down beside us a minute later. He landed on his back. "Ouch!" he exclaimed and then slowly got up, rubbing his smarting back. "Could have warned me, you guys."

"Don't blame me," Odd said, crossing his arms across his chest, his purple tail swishing. "Blame Yumi. I just had another vision."

"Of what?" I asked curiously.

"Aelita," Odd said informatively. "She seems to be in the polar region, on an little ice island in the middle of the blue ocean."

"Aelita?" I asked in shock. "She's still alive?"

"And how are we supposed to get in the middle of the ocean?" Ulrich asked, defeat evident in his voice.

"Let's get to the polar region first," Odd said, pointing at a tower just ahead in between two giant sand dunes.


	17. Rescue ::Part Three::

Author's Note: Hola everyone! It's been a while since I last updated, like I promised it would be. I hope you aren't too mad and I hope no one has "died" from suspense out there. I'm sure you would hate to not see what happens at the end. Thank you very very much for all my wonderful reviews. Son of Xana, thank you for making me feel like a _bumbling idiot_! But that's okay. You certainly are very nit-picky, a trait which I also share. But thank you for pointing out all my errors. I'll be sure to do some...er...scientific research on air pressure, forces, and the like the next time I write a fan fiction (although wouldn't you agree that that would be hassling?)! Great minds think alike, DanMat6288 (jkjk, I'm not quite sure at the moment that I have a "great mind"...)! But sorry if I took your idea! I'm also going nuts about the hurricanes in Florida, CodeLyoko, so don't worry. Mornstar, it sounds lovely! You have truly outdone yourself! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! I love sapphires...(I agree it is a very large awkward cookie...)  
Anyway...here is you next chapter! Hope you devour and enjoy, as always!  
Oh, and I promised my friends (and myself) I would ask this to the next people I see (well I don't techinally see you, but it still counts, right?). And if you think its random and scary, get over it, cause that's the way I am. So the question (clears throat): What's you favorite kitchen appliance? Review with response!

* * *

We emerged on an elevated pathway. The pathway was raised up out of the water by ice as white as snow. Odd ran forward first and I followed with Ulrich bringing up the rear. We stopped when we reached two icy columns coming out of the water, one shorter than the first, evidently for the purpose of jumping to the lower pathway ahead. I looked over my shoulder at Ulrich and smiled at him. "What do you know, Ulrich? More jumping!" He groaned.

After some quick leaps, we continued on our way across the white tundra. The only sound that I heard was our quick footsteps and harsh breathing. After a while, we ran across an ice bridge and found ourselves in a dead end. But it was a beautiful dead end.

The icy bridge suddenly opened out into a circle. The circle of white was lined with a wall all the way around except for the entrance to the almost room-like structure. And as I stepped into the walled premises, I discovered that the walls actually alternated from solid ice to cascading waterfalls. Water crashed all around us, seeming to create a momentary shelter.

"Now what, genius?" Ulrich asked irritably, glancing at an awestruck Odd. Odd didn't hear over the water's din and continued to stare at the serene area we had stumbled upon.

"I never knew a place like this could exist in Lyoko," Odd breathed in wonder.

I walked over to one of the walls. "This can't just be a dead end. The path from the tower led in only one direction and that was to here. There has to be something beyond this."

"Like what?" Ulrich asked, kicking at the ice beneath his feet.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," I said, leaning against the cold ice wall and looking at the closet waterfall. I straightened up when I noticed something. "Actually, I think I just might have found it."

Cautiously, I made my way toward the waterfall. I carefully edged onto a little ledge behind the waterfall, pressing myself flat so I could get past the sheet of water. I breathed out in relief when I had slipped all the way behind the waterfall. Then I turned to see a slick winding ice tunnel that had been concealed from view by the waterfall. Odd appeared to my right and Ulrich came up on my left.

I smiled. "Shotgun."

Odd smiled also. "I'll go first," he volunteered quickly and without another word jumped forward and slid down the tunnel. I heard his whoops of delight echoing on the slick walls.

"You go next, Yumi," Ulrich offered. I nodded and jumped in.

Immediately, I was sliding at high speeds down a steep slope. I screamed, half in fear and half in excitement as I raced down the tunnel. The ice walls went by in a shiny blur as I skated around and around. Suddenly the tunnel dipped down and changed directions to go upward. I started losing my momentum. With a futile scramble to regain my footing, I started slipping downward. I reached out to grope for anything I could hold onto but before I could, Odd crashed into me. With loud yells and curses, we tumbled back the way we had come in a tangled heap. Then, to make matters worse, Ulrich crashed into us from behind. Groaning was added to our mix.

"Oh man," Odd lamented balefully as he extracted himself from our fall. "We have to climb up the rest of the way?"

I rubbed my head and sat up. "Apparently so, but these walls are slick."

Ulrich got up and offered me a hand. "Well, I hope they aren't hard." He unsheathed his sword and smashed his blade into the ice. His sword sunk into it with only a little resistance.

Odd nodded understandably. "Okay, I'll put my cat skills at work."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh great. I'm sure this means we'll need to have someone rescue us soon." Odd glared at me heatedly before running up the slope and digging his claw-like hands into the soft ice. I ran up and followed him, whipping out my fan and slicing into the ice to create a handhold. Ulrich followed, leaving little indentations in the ice where he had sunk his sword into it.

In this painfully slow way, we climbed up the last part of the tunnel and emerged on a little ice island in the middle of the ocean. And there hung Aelita in the fiery ball of a guardian.

Odd took a big whiff of the icy air. "Yumi, its show time." I nodded and dropped to my knees. A few minutes later, an exact replica of Aelita was hovering next to me. The guardian quivered with uncertainty and finally decided to go for the bait. It dropped the real Aelita and went to smother the fake one. Odd sprang forward and snatched up the real Aelita in one swift motion.

"Now how are we going to get back?" Ulrich asked. "Apparently the tunnel we went through went a little ways underneath the ocean, but I don't think we're up to climbing with an extra load."

"We have to wake her," I said swiftly. "Aelita can use her powers to create another pathway to link up to the main land."

"I have an idea," Odd said, swishing his purple tail and looking out at the ocean. He dragged Aelita close to the edge of the patch of land we were on and cupped a handful of water in his glove. Then he turned and sprinkled Aelita's face with the icy cold water before it slipped between his fingers. Aelita sat up with a start.

"Aelita?" I said, kneeling at her side. "I can't believe its really you!"

She shook her head and then smiled at me. "It's me Yumi."

"But how did you survive...well...I mean when I dropped you..."

Aelita's smile widened and she placed a forgiving hand on my arm. "Its okay Yumi. After I fell, I lost all my life points and I..." she dropped her voice to a whisper, "I materialized."

"You what?" the rest of us exclaimed at the same time.

Aelita grinned brightly but then the expression dulled when she caught sight of the still jiggling orange blob of the guardian. "We have to get off this island and quick. I'll tell you later." She walked to the edge of island and closed her eyes, placing her fingers up to her temples. Then she took a step forward. Instantly, white solid ground appeared at her feet. She walked forward again and the same thing happened. One footstep at a time, she created a slender path for us to walk on. But soon a horrible buzzing sound filled the air with a promise of only one thing.

"Hornets. Geez, I hate these horrible pests," Odd exclaimed, cocking his wrist for a shot as three hornets swerved into view. "Laser arrow!" Odd cried while shooting four arrows. All of them missed.

"Nice, hot shot," I mocked, jumping out of the way as they took aim and fired.

"Hey, I was trying my best," Odd said, cart wheeling out of the way and precariously close to falling off the pathway. He flipped up to shoot two more laser arrows. This time one of them found their mark and blew the nearest hornet to pieces. "There, better?"

"Much better," Ulrich confirmed, slashing at one of the hornets. It buzzed up to a safe distance only to get slaughtered with my whizzing fan.

"The last one's yours, Ulrich," Odd panted as he made way for Ulrich to move. "I don't want to use too many arrows."

The last hornet swerved low to get at Aelita, but Ulrich ran up and threw his sword right in the middle of the hornet's Xana symbol. "Bull's eye." The hornet exploded and Ulrich sword landed on the newly created ground. Aelita continued walking forward, as if nothing had happened.

After the counter with the hornets, no other monster showed up. Aelita finally connected us to the main land. The tower was just ahead on another little circular island of ice with little ice pieces to get you there, like stepping-stones. We ran toward it. "Jeremy's in the mountain region, I'm sure of it," Aelita cried as she ran and then she sprang up to land on the first ice piece gracefully.

All four of us bounded across the ice stepping-stones and phased into the tower.

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As always, the mountain region was stark and uneventful. Lazy clouds drifted by, momentarily obscuring the visibility but always clearing up a little while later. Odd rock formations protruded from the pathways and sometimes from parallel pathways that ran underneath the one we were running on.

We spotted where Jeremy was relatively quickly but we were stuck on how to get there. He was being suspended in a guardian on a little piece of rocky land that was below the pathway on which we were standing. To get there, we had to jump over another harrowing set of moving platforms and then take a nasty little detour in which one had to jump to a moving platform underneath the first set of moving platforms that were level with us. Then after jumping over the platforms below, one would finally discover after all that hard work that one couldn't step onto the little island Jeremy was on after all, because the little island was just big enough for only the guardian.

And if one did actually manage to create a clone of Jeremy on one of the other moving platforms, one would have to do it at the right moment because then one would have to sweep in and wake Jeremy.

In other words, the task was nearly impossible except to one determined individual. That would be, of course, Aelita.

"But Aelita, going down there is like committing suicide. You can't possibly make it all the way down there," Odd protested, gazing down himself at the terribly risky passage.

"I know Odd, but I've got to try," Aelita said calmly. I watched her impassive face stare at Jeremy. It contained a sorrow in it and a determination I knew none of us could break. For the first time it dawned on me that Aelita just might have the same feelings for Jeremy as Jeremy had for her.

"Okay, Aelita," I said, clapping her gently on the back. "We've got your back." She looked me in the eye and nodded before taking off to the first set of moving platforms.

"I hope she knows what she's doing," Odd said nervously, cringing as she performed the first jump that would take her off the pathway and onto the moving platforms.

"Geez, Odd, chill out. You look like you're the one doing the rescuing," Ulrich teased. I laughed as Odd's face turned a shade of red in anger.

"Oh yeah, tough guy," Odd taunted. "Bring it on."

I laughed harder. "Come on guys. Both of you, chill out. You look like the time when Ulrich got amnesia."

I watched, meanwhile, as Aelita jumped like a gazelle over the next few platforms and then dropped down a few harrowing feet to land on the next set of platforms. Ulrich and Odd abandoned their little skirmish to watch her progress.

She jumped with ease and grace to the next platform and then as soon as her feet brushed the ground, she jumped again to land on the platform that would bring her as close to the little piece of land on which Jeremy was situated on as she could get. Then she dropped to her knees and started humming, concentrating her energy on Jeremy.

About that time I heard the familiar sound of mechanical gears grinding. I looked around, suddenly alert and wary. Odd and Ulrich looked around as well. Then I spotted two blocks on the top of a huge boulder a little ways away. Just as I was about to point them out, Odd gave a shout and pointed the opposite direction. Roachsters were making their way over the set of moving platforms and were coming toward us as well.

Meanwhile, the clone of Jeremy was just starting to shimmer into view.

Odd immediately bounced into a ready crouch position. "I got the blocks. You go take care of the roachsters." Ulrich and I nodded and started running toward the platforms. The roachsters suddenly looked up and swiveled around to get a better view. They spotted us and charged up to shoot.

I whipped out my fan and sent it flying into the closest one. It exploded as the one behind that one started to shoot. Ulrich stepped in front of me and absorbed all the shots with his sword. I poised my hand to throw again.

"Jeremy!" I heard two voices call out. Ulrich and I instantly abandoned the confused roachsters to go see what was happening. I looked down just in time to see two more blocks clinging from the side of a nearby boulder. They started shooting just as Jeremy was starting to awake. All of the lasers hit their mark as they hit Jeremy's body with alarming accuracy. I watched with a strangled gasp as Jeremy de-virtualized immediately.

A hot wave of anger washed through me along with a stream of adrenaline. I backed up and with a scream, I leapt off the pathway and twisted my body sideways, throwing my fan with all my strength. One block was sliced clean through. The other, in panic, lost its grip on the boulder and tumbled into the void below.

I knocked into the side of the little island Jeremy had just been on a little while ago. The impact knocked all the wind out of me and I clung onto the side with one hand, wheezing and trying to get my breath back. Aelita screamed my name and jumped onto the island. I already knew it was too late. She reached out and grabbed my hand but my hand had already slipped off the edge. With another scream, this one full of fear, I tumbled after the block I had just killed.


	18. Happily Ever After ::Or Is It?::

Author's Note: It sprang on me unexpectedly. Last chapter! (cries with tears wetting the keyboard) But don't worry! I'm working on the "sequel" (not really, as it takes place ten years in the future) and although I've only written the first chapter, I'm sure it will blossom into an interesting story.  
As promised, I'm going to recongize everyone that reviewed from the very very VERY beginning, so here comes the rattling! (deep breath) Okay, I would like to sincerely thank: aznBLONDiE xD, animegirl16, Master of Chickens, Son of Xana, Aelita-Fan-426, CodeLyoko, aligrl34, Yumigirl06, Warrior Pixie, yumi165, Tailchaser, vampirehunterD-lover, urlichyumi4ever, ghdf, bubbleyum, hawkefairy, udvsddsv, Solodancer689, Mia and Artemis of the Ice, Song of Stars and mornstar (thank you SOOOOO much for the pretty shrine!!! And thank you so much for all your input on the way!), Star Breacher, Kaliann, supersayian1, Gypsee Girl, Beverly Vulcan Princess, Aelita Lyoko, CodeLyokoFan4Ever, Kay, Ice Flame, codeearthaelitak, Turok 2, dreamcaster555, spiecas, Ice Angel Kaoru, goddess of darkness3, GrYfFiNdOr4eVeR98, Terrasina DragonWagon, Natasha, Scorpio Serpent, ulrichxyumi4eva (again, thanks for the fave quotes!!), Yumi-clone, DanMat6288 (yah, that's totally what I did. So...where do you get one of those helments? JKJK...), and Kawaii Bell. Whew! I did it! Yay! I'd also like to thank those of you who answered my bizzare question!  
All of you please come back to review my next story. I would love to hear from all of you wonderful people again! Now that you've found your name and had a moment of glory, you can now enjoy the chapter I have prepared. Ta ta for now (as Jerry would say), and enjoy!

* * *

I stumbled groggily from the scanner and pushed the button for the elevator. Then I stumbled in and leaned against the back wall to reorient myself as I traveled up a level to the computer room. When the elevator doors slid open, a familiar and wonderful voice greeted me. "Welcome back to earth, Yumi." 

"Jeremy!" I cried, all strength miraculously recovered. "Oh Jeremy! I'm so sorry!" I ran up to him and immediately gave him a bone-crushing hug. "Do you forgive me?"

"I will once I can breathe again," Jeremy said weakly. I immediately released him and he fixed his glasses that had come askew. "Of course I forgive you Yumi," he said, staring with a big smile into my face. I broke into a smile myself and watched as Jeremy turned his attention to the computer screen. "Besides, I can't get mad at you for something you didn't do. And anyway, Aelita's going to come to our world soon. As soon as we make the proper preparations, Aelita will be here to stay."

I cheered as Jeremy punched in a few keys and then said into his communicator. "Time to come home everyone."

At that moment, the ground beneath me opened up and I was tumbling through with a scream, leaving behind a very bewildered Jeremy.

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I plopped down on a familiar pink couch as the ending hatch opened into Jerry's office. I pushed myself up weakly and fixed Jerry with a glare. "You know, that was about the worst moment to WOOHP me."

"Sorry," Jerry said apologetically, "but I didn't want to keep the girls waiting long." At that moment, Sam, Alex, and Clover's head's popped out from behind the blue couch.

"Hello girl friend!" Clover said, running up to me and giving me a gigantic hug, much like the one I had just given Jeremy a short while ago. She let go of me soon enough and led me to the couch.

Jerry cleared his throat. "I would just like to congratulate all four of you on a mission well done. I had no idea that one simple 'babysitting mission', if you will, turned into such a big mess. But all of you handled it wonderfully."

"Thank you, Jer," we all chorused at the same time.

He beamed at us with rare pride but then his smile faded. "But, Yumi, I would understand if you decided not to continue as a spy."

"What?" Sam, Alex, and Clover said incredulously.

Jerry adjusted his black tie. "She is quite young, much too young to be a regular WOOHP spy yet, although she handled it with superb grace and intellect. And besides, after all those failed attempts at trying to contact her, I have a strange feeling that she's more busy than we can ever imagine."

"You got that right," I confirmed, and then spotted Sam, Alex, and Clover blinking at me rather expectantly. I sighed and gazed at them sincerely. "I've really grown to love all you guys. Even you, Clover. But Jerry's right. Although we make a dream team, I still have my life to live. So I guess I'll resign from WOOHP." The girls looked at me sadly. "But if it makes you feel better, I'll have you know that I probably will still save the world, in a more mysterious sort of way."

"Are you sure you need to go?" Clover asked pleadingly. "Because you are great as one of the team."

I sighed and patted her shoulder. "I'm pretty sure I'll be needed elsewhere. Thank you, all of you though."

I hugged them all, and Alex was even crying when I said goodbye. Jerry, of course, was all business. "I'll let you keep your compowder. You never know when the spies might need some extra hands."

"Until that day," I said, giving him a little salute. "Now how to I get back to my school?"

Sam, Alex, and Clover all laughed as a claw reached down and grabbed the back of my shirt. I yelped in surprise. "You shouldn't have asked," they said in unison. The last I saw of them was happy smiles and waves.

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A bit unceremoniously, I was dumped onto a bed in one of the dorms at my school. I rubbed my head, surprised and was even more surprised to find Odd, Ulrich, and Jeremy blinking at me in return. "Uh..." I started. "Hey guys."

"Okay," Odd said. "You're not getting out of this one. Explain now."

"Yeah," Jeremy said, nodding vehemently. "Ulrich here has been telling us some bogus story that you were a spy working for a secret organization this whole time. What a joke."

I glanced at Ulrich and saw him shrug and smile at me. I smiled back at him slyly. "Actually, it isn't a joke," I started explaining. "It's true. But in order for me to tell you, you have to promise not to tell anyone else. Not a single soul. Or else, you might just be turned into a vegetable...or at least your brain will. You promise? Okay. So, it all started the day Sissy decided to give me a makeover..."


End file.
